Velvet fish

Velvet fish
Indefinite velvet fish
Systematics
Acanthomorphata Spinefish (Acanthopterygii) Perch relatives (Percomorphaceae) Order : Perch-like (Perciformes) Subordination : Scorpionfish relatives (Scorpaenoidei) Family : Velvet fish
Scientific name
Aploactinidae
McCulloch , 1922

The velvet fish (Aploactinidae) live on the coasts of the tropical Indo-Pacific , most species in Indonesian and Australian waters. It is named after the converted, tiny scales, which give the fish a velvety appearance, but some species have no scales.

features

Her head is armored with spiky outgrowths. All fin rays are undivided. The dorsal fin begins in most species (not in Adventor and Peristrominous ) directly above the eye. The first three to five spine rays of the dorsal fin are usually not connected to the following by a fin membrane. In four species , the first three to four spine rays form a separate dorsal fin. The spine rays of the anal fin are not clearly defined or are absent. The pelvic fins have one hard and only two to three soft rays.

The animals have not yet been explored much.

Systematics

There are 17 genera and over 45 species:

Aploactisoma milesii

Coccotropsis gymnoderma is hiding in a sponge

Cocotropus roseus

Kanekonia queenslandica

Paraploactis obessi

• Genus Acanthosphex Fowler, 1938
  • Acanthosphex leurynnis
• Genus Adventor Whitley, 1952
  • Adventor elongatus
• Genus Aploactis
  • Aploactis aspera
• Genus Aploactisoma Castelnau, 1872
  • Aploactisoma milesii
• Genus Bathyaploactis Whitley, 1933
  • Bathyaploactis curtisensis
  • Bathyaploactis ornatissima
• Genus Cocotropus Kaup, 1858
  • Cocotropus altipinnis
  • Cocotropus astakhovi
  • Cocotropus dermacanthus
  • Cocotropus echinatus
  • Cocotropus eksae
  • Cocotropus izuensis
  • Cocotropus keramaensis
  • Cocotropus larvatus
  • Cocotropus masudai
  • Cocotropus microps
  • Cocotropus monacanthus
  • Cocotropus possi
  • Cocotropus richeri
  • Cocotropus roseomaculatus
  • Cocotropus roseus
  • Cocotropus steinitzi
• Genus Erisphex Jordan & Starks, 1904
  • Erisphex aniarus
  • Erisphex philippinus
  • Erisphex pottii
  • Erisphex simplex
• Genus Kanekonia Tanaka, 1915
  • Kanekonia florida
  • Kanekonia leichhardti Johnson, 2013
  • Kanekonia pelta
  • Kanekonia queenslandica
• Genus Matsubarichthys Poss & Johnson, 1991
  • Matsubarichthys inusitatus
• Genus Neoaploactis
  • Neoaploactis tridorsalis
• Genus Paraploactis Bleeker, 1864
  • Paraploactis hongkongiensis
  • Paraploactis intonsa
  • Paraploactis kagoshimensis
  • Paraploactis obbesi
  • Paraploactis pulvinus
  • Paraploactis taprobanensis
  • Paraploactis trachyderma
• Genus Peristrominous Whitley, 1952
  • Peristrominous dolosus
• Genus Prosoproctus Poss & Eschmeyer, 1979
  • Prosoproctus pataecus
• Genus Pseudopataecus Johnson, 2004
  • Pseudopataecus carnatobarbatus Johnson, 2012
  • Pseudopataecus taenianotus
• Genus Ptarmus Smith, 1947
  • Ptarmus gallus
  • Ptarmus jubatus
• Genus Sthenopus Richardson, 1848
  • Sthenopus mollis
• Genus Xenaploactis Poss & Eschmeyer, 1980
  • Xenaploactis anopta
  • Xenaploactis asperrima
  • Xenaploactis cautes

The velvet fish are closely related to the stone fish (Synanceiidae). A characteristic that they share with the stone fish is a saber-shaped, defensive outgrowth of the lacrimale , the teardrop saber . Smith, Everman and Richardson therefore propose that the velvet fish be assigned to the stone fish as a subfamily.

literature

• Joseph S. Nelson : Fishes of the World. 4th edition. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken NJ 2006, ISBN 0-471-25031-7 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Smith, WL, Everman, E. & Richardson, C. (2018): Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Flatheads, Scorpionfishes, Sea Robins, and Stonefishes (Percomorpha: Scorpaeniformes) and the Evolution of the Lachrymal Saber. Copeia 106 (1): 94-119. 2018 doi: 10.1643 / CG-17-669

Web links

Commons : Aploactinidae  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Velvet fish on Fishbase.org (English)