Abalistes stellatus

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Abalistes stellatus
Abalistes stellatus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Balistidae
Genus: Abalistes
Species:
A. stellatus
Binomial name
Abalistes stellatus
(Anonymous in Lacépède, 1798)
Synonyms [2]
  • Balistes stellatus Anonymous, 1798
  • Balistes stellaris Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  • Abalistes stellaris (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
  • Balistes jellaka Cuvier, 1829
  • Capriscus (Leiurus) macropthalmus Swainson, 1839
  • Balistes vachellii Richardson, 1845
  • Balistes phaleratus Richardson, 1846

Abalistes stellatus, the starry triggerfish or flat-tailed triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This triggerfish has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

Contents

Taxonomy

Abalistes stellatus was first formally described in 1798 by an anomymous author, the description being published in Allgemeine Literatur-Zeitung and is the author thought to be Bernard Germain de Lacépède based on a description he found in a manuscript written by Philibert Commerson. The type locality was given as Mauritius. [2] In 1839 William John Swainson created a subgenus of Capriscus he called Leiurus but he had already preoccupied this name with a subgenus of sticklebacks and in 1906 David Starr Jordan and Alvin Seale replaced Leiurus with Abalistes, making Capriscus (Leiurus) macropthalmus as its type species by replacement. [3] This species belongs to the family Blaistidae, which is included in the suborder Balistoidei. [4]

Etymology

Abalistes stellatus is the type species of the genus Abalistes, a name which prefixes a-, meaning "not", with Balistes, the genus that A. stellaris, a synonym of A. stellatus, was considered to belong to. The specific name, stellatus, means "starry", a reference to the small white spots on the upper body. [5]

Description

Abalistes stellatus has 3 spines and between 25 and 27 soft rays in its dorsal fin while the anal fin has 24 or 24 soft rays. There is an oblique groove in front of the eye and the scales to the rear of the gill slit are large. The depth of the body fits into the standard length between 2 and 2.5 times. The caudal peduncle is flattened and is at least as wide as it is deep, as well as being narrow and tapering with a lenth much greater than its depth. The caudal fin is double emarginate and the two lobes lengthen as the fish grows. [6] The large scales behind the gill slit and above the base of the pectoral fin create a flexible tympanum. The scales towards the rear of the body are keeled, creating longitudinal ridges. [7] The overall colour is greyish to greenish-brown fading to whitish ventrally, there are four large white blotches along the back, the last of these is located on the caudal peduncle and the body is marked with pale yellowish-brown spots and there may be a white streak on the middle of the upper side. [6] This species has a maximum published total length of 60 cm (24 in), although 40 cm (16 in)is more typical. [7]

A juvenile Starry Triggerfish, Abalistes stellatus, at Ose, Izu Peninsula, Japan, depth 27 m AbalistStellatusorangkucing (1).jpg
A juvenile Starry Triggerfish, Abalistes stellatus, at Ose, Izu Peninsula, Japan, depth 27 m

Distribution and habitat

Abalistes stellatus has a wide distribution in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. It occurs along the coast of eastern Africa from the Red Sea to Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa, [8] across the Indian Ocean and into the Western Pacific Ocean as far east as Fiji, north as far as southern Japan and south to northern and eastern Australia. It is found at deptsh between 4 and 120 m (13 and 394 ft) [1] in areas of sand, sponge, and seaweed areas over deep slopes. The juveniles frequently inhabit sheltered coastal bays and estuaries where there are open areas scattered with outcrops of rubble and other debris. [6]

Biology

Abalistes setllatus feeds on benthic invertebrates and its diet includes crabs, molluscs and sea urchins. [1] The starry triggerfish is typically solitary but the males and females come together to form pairs for breeding. The eggs are laid on the substrate and are gaurded by the female. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Abalistes</i> Genus of fishes

Abalistes is a small genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. These triggerfishes are found in the Indo-Pacific and eastern Atlantic. This genus contains two recognised species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange-lined triggerfish</span> Species of fish

The orange-lined triggerfish, also known as the orangestripe triggerfish, red-lined triggerfish, striped triggerfish or vermiculated triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This species is the only species in the monospecific genus Balistapus, which is closely related to the genus Balistoides, if that genus is reclassified as a monospecific genus with the clown triggerfish as its only species. The orange-lined triggerfish has a wide Indo-Pacific range.

<i>Ostracion</i> Genus of fishes

Ostracion is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region as far east as the eastern Pacific coasts of the Americas.

<i>Balistes</i> Genus of fishes

Balistes is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. The triggerfishes in this genus are found in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Balistes punctatus</i> Species of fish

Balistes punctatus, the bluespotted triggerfish or spotted triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This species occurs in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean off the Western coast of Africa.

<i>Kentrocapros</i> Genus of fishes

Kentrocapros is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. These fishes are found in the coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Polyplacapros is a monospecific genus of ray-finned fish beloning to the family Aracanidae, the temperate boxfishes or deep water boxfishes. The only species in the genus is Polyplacapros tyleri, Tyler's boxfish, which is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Balistoides</i> Genus of fishes

Balistoides is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. The triggerfishes in this genus are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Lactophrys</i> Genus of fishes

Lactophrys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. The boxfishes in this genus are found in the western Atlantic Ocean and are known as trunkfishes.

<i>Lactoria</i> Genus of fishes

Lactoria is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. The fishes in this genus are found in the Indo-Pacific, with one species extending into the southeastern Atlantic.

<i>Tetrosomus</i> Genus of fishes

Tetrosomus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. The fishes in this genus are known as turretfishes and they are found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

<i>Ostracion rhinorhynchos</i> Species of fish

Ostracion rhinorhynchos, the horn-nosed boxfish or torpedo boxfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This fish occurs in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Aracana aurita</i> Species of fish

Aracana aurita, the Shaw's cowfish, painted boxfish, southern cowfish or striped cowfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. This species is endemic to the seas off southern Australia.

<i>Abalistes filamentosus</i> Species of fish

Abalistes filamentosus, the hairfin triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. It is found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean and in subtropical waters. It lives in the Pelagic-Neritic zone of the ocean between 61–180 meters deep. It is harmless to humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shortnose boxfish</span> Species of fish

The Shortnose boxfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This species is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Balistes polylepis</i> Species of fish

Balistes polylepis, the finescale triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This triggerfish is found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Lactoria diaphana</i> Species of fish

Lactoria diaphana, the roundbelly cowfish, diaphonous cowfish, many-spined cowfish, spiny cowfish or transparent cowfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This fish is found in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific.

Kentrocapros rosapinto, the basketfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the temperate boxfishes or deepwater boxfishes. This fish is found in the Western Indian Ocean and in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Ostracion cyanurus</i> Species of fish

Ostracion cyanurus, the bluetail trunkfish, Arabian trunkfish or Red Sea boxfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This species is found in the Western Indian Ocean.

<i>Ostracion trachys</i> Species of fish

Ostracion trachys, the rough boxfish or roughskin trunkfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. It is found in the Western Indian Ocean around the Mascarenes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Matsuura, K. (2022). "Abalistes stellatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T193587A2243971. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T193587A2243971.en . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  2. 1 2 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Abalistes". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Balistidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  4. ↑ "Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification". Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  5. ↑ Christopher Scharpf (21 August 2024). "Order TETRAODONTIFORMES: Families MOLIDAE, BALISTIDAE, MONACANTHIDAE, ARACANIDAE and OSTRACIIDAE". Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Bray, D.J. (2018). "Abalistes stellatus". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Abalistes stellatus". FishBase . June 2024 version.
  8. ↑ Keiichi Matsuura (2022). "Tetraodontiformes". In Phillip C. Heemstra; Elaine Heemstra; David E. Ebert; Wouter Holleman; John E. Randall (eds.). Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean (PDF). pp. 406–485.
  9. ↑ "Starry Triggerfish Abalistes stellatus". Western Australian Museum. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
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