Anthias anthias | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Anthiadidae |
Genus: | Anthias |
Species: | A. anthias |
Binomial name | |
Anthias anthias | |
Range of Anthias anthias | |
Synonyms [2] | |
Anthias anthias, the swallowtail sea perch or marine goldfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family Anthiadidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea where it is associated with reefs. It is found in the aquarium trade.
Anthias anthias has a rather deep body which has a standard length which is equivalent to 2.5 times its depth. The dorsal fin has 10 spines, with the third spine being especially long, and 15 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines and 7 soft rays. The pectoral fins are longer than the pelvic fins. The caudal fin has asymmetrical, pointed lobes with lower lobe being longer than the upper lobe. It has a complete lateral line which has 36–39 scales, the scales are large. [3] Their colour varies from pink through to red and they have 3 yellow lines on the sides of their heads. Frequently they can show brown blotches along the back. The pelvic fins are yellow in colour but when breeding those of the males turn red. [4] They can attain a standard length of 27 centimetres (11 in) but they are more normally around 12–18 centimetres (4.7–7.1 in). [3]
Anthias anthias is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. In the Eastern Atlantic it occurs from Portugal south to Angola and northern Namibia. It also occurs around the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde Islands and the islands in the Gulf of Guinea. [1] It is widespread in the Mediterranean and has been recorded in the Canakkale Strait off Gallipoli but not in the Black Sea. [5]
Anthias anthias occurs from 15 to 200 metres (49 to 656 ft) in depth and lives among rocks and corals, hiding in caves during the day. It emerges at night to feed on zooplankton, small crustacea and smaller fishes. [4] This species is a protogynous hermaphrodite, all individuals hatch as females. Each time a male dies, one of the larger females changes her sex and becomes male. The majority are female throughout their lives and even a large school of these fish will contain only a few males. It takes around two weeks for the female to change sex and this involves not just a change in the gonads but also in colour, size and shape. If there are too many males in a social group then some of the males can reverse the sex change and revert to being females. [6] They have been observed to co-operatively feed, some fish feed while others herd the prey, such as shrimp, the roles being reversed to allow all the fish to feed. [7]
Anthias anthias was first formally described in 1758 as Labrus anthius by Carolus Linnaeus in Volume 1 of the Xth edition of the Systema Naturae with the type locality given as southern Europe. [8] When Marcus Elieser Bloch created the genus Anthias he used Anthias sacer as the type species but this is regarded as a synonym of Linnaeus's Labrus anthias, so this species is the type species of its genus. [9] The name anthias is Greek for a fish, probably the gilt-head bream. [2]
Anthias anthias is used in the marine aquarium trade. [10]
The black sea bass is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea bass from the subfamily Serraninae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the groupers and anthias. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean, where it is an important species for commercial and recreational fisheries.
The graysby is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is in the family Serranidae which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the western Atlantic. It is associated with reefs and is a quarry species for commercial and recreational fisheries.
The gag grouper, also known as velvet rockfish, the gag, or charcoal belly, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It comes from warmer parts of the West Atlantic, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. It is a drab, mottled-gray fish lacking the distinguishing features of most other groupers. Its pattern of markings resemble the box-shaped spots of the black grouper. It lacks the streamer-points on the tail fin that scamp and yellowmouth grouper have and lacks yellow coloration around the mouth.
The painted comber is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea bass from the subfamily Serraninae, classified as part of the family Serranidae which includes the groupers and anthias. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. Confusingly, a synonym of this species is Perca marina, but that name has incorrectly been used for a separate species, the rose fish.
The mottled grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
The cuckoo wrasse is a species of wrasse native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Norway to Senegal, including the Azores and Madeira. It is also found in the Mediterranean Sea. They occur in weedy, rocky areas mostly between 40 and 80 m. This species is an occasional food fish for local populations but is also popular as a game fish. It is also a popular fish for display in public aquaria.
Pseudanthias bartlettorum, Bartlett's anthias is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the subfamily Anthiinae of the family Serranidae, the groupers and sea basses. It occurs in the Pacific Ocean. This fish is sometimes kept in aquaria.
Pseudanthias bicolor, the bicolor anthias or yellowback basslet is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the subfamily Anthiinae of the family Serranidae, the groupers and sea basses. It is from the Indo-Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 13 cm in length.
Pseudanthias rubrizonatus, the red-belted anthias, liliac-tip basslet, deepsea fairy basslet, lilac-tipped seaperch, redband anthias, red-band basslet or redbar anthias is a species of marine ray-finned fish, an anthias from the subfamily Anthiinae part of the family Serranidae, the groupers and sea basses. It is found in the Indo-Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 12 cm in length.
Pseudanthias huchtii, the red cheek fairy basslet, threadfin anthias or Pacific basslet is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a member of the genus Pseudanthias which is part of the subfamily Anthiinae, which in turn is part of the family Serranidae, the groupers and sea basses. It comes from the Western Central Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 12 cm in length.
Cephalopholis taeniops, the African hind, bluespotted sea bass or spotted grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is in the family Serranidae which also includes the anthias and sea basses. This species occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade and is a target for local fisheries. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Hypoplectrus unicolor, the butter hamlet or yellowtail hamlet, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea bass from the subfamily Serraninae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the groupers and anthias. It occurs in the western central Atlantic Ocean and occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.
The ornate wrasse is a species of wrasse native to the rocky coasts of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This species, commonly known as the circus fish, is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries, is also popular as a game fish, and can be found in the aquarium trade.
Anthias is a genus of colourful ray-finned fishes in the family Anthiadidae. Most species are found at deep reefs in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, often well below depths reachable to a scuba diver. A single species, A. noeli, is found at deep reefs in the East Pacific.
The black scorpionfish, also known as the European scorpionfish or small-scaled scorpionfish, is a venomous scorpionfish, common in marine subtropical waters. It is widespread in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean from the British Isles to the Azores and Canary Islands, near the coasts of Morocco, in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
The red gurnard, also known as the East Atlantic red gurnard or soldier, is a benthic species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
Capros, the boarfish or Zulu fish, is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Caproidae. Its only known species is Capros aper. The boarfish is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean.
Diplodus annularis, the annular seabream is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the family which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean.
Peristedion cataphractum, the African armoured gurnard, the mailed gurnard or armed gurnard, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Peristediidae, the armoured gurnards or armored sea robins. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
The parrot seaperch, also known as the bird of paradise fish or Eastern Atlantic groppo, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Callanthiidae, the splendid perches and groppos. This fish is found in the northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.