African argus fish

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African argus fish
Systematics
Spinefish (Acanthopterygii)
Perch relatives (Percomorphaceae)
Order : Surgeonfish (Acanthuriformes)
Family : Argus fish (Scatophagidae)
Genre : Scatophagus
Type : African argus fish
Scientific name
Scatophagus tetracanthus
( Lacépède , 1802)

The African argus fish ( Scatophagus tetracanthus ) is a brackish water and marine fish that occurs in the tropical Indo-Pacific from the coast of East Africa ( Somalia to South Africa) in the west to Australia and New Guinea in the east.

features

It can reach a length of 30 to 40 cm and is largely similar to the common argus fish ( Scatophagus argus ) in its external appearance . In contrast to this species, which is patterned with dots on the sides of the body, the African argus fish shows vertical, black-brown bands on a yellowish to bluish-silvery basic color. The number of sanitary napkins and their width varies from individual to individual. Typically, specimens with wide bandages have fewer numbers. In young fish, the bandages reach up to the edge of the abdomen, but in older fish they only extend to the upper half of the body, so they get shorter with age. The dorsal and anal fins are brownish, the pelvic fins dark brown and the caudal fin base is yellowish. The mouth is small, horizontal and not protractile (cannot be extended). The larvae of the fish ( tholichthys stage ) are characterized by a large head with thick bone plates. Over time, the tholichthys stage passes over into the adult fish through the regression of the head armor. In juvenile fish, the spines of the dorsal, anal and ventral fins are provided with a thin, poison-secreting glandular tissue.

ecology

The African argus fish lives in shallow water down to depths of five meters, especially in brackish mangrove areas , ports and in East Africa also in river mouths and the lower reaches of rivers. It feeds on worms, crustaceans, insects and plants.

swell

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