Aracana aurita

Last updated

Aracana aurita
Aracana aurita.jpg
Illustration from 1904's Kunstformen der Natur
Shaw's Cowfish.jpg
A specimen at the California Academy of Sciences
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Aracanidae
Genus: Aracana
Species:
A. aurita
Binomial name
Aracana aurita
(Shaw, 1798)
Synonyms [2]
  • Ostracion auritus Shaw, 1798
  • Acarana aurita (Shaw, 1798)
  • Ostracion striatus Shaw, 1804
  • Ostracion tobinii Donovan, 1824
  • Ostracion lineata Gray, 1839
  • Ostracion spilogaster Richardson, 1840
  • Aracana spilogaster spinosissima McCulloch & Waite, 1915
  • Aracana spilogaster angustata McCulloch & Waite, 1915

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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Aracana auritia was first formally described in 1798 as Ostracion auritus by the Irish biologist George Shaw with its type locality given as the "Islands of the Pacific Ocean", thought to be Tasmania. [3] In 1838 John Edward Gray proposed a monotypic subgenus of Ostracion which he named Aracana , in 1866 Pieter Bleeker formally designated O. aurita as the type species of Aracana. [4] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies this genus in the family Aracanidae which is in the suborder Ostracioidea within the order Tetraodontiformes. [5]

Etymology

Aracana aurita is classified in the genus Aracana, a name which was variously spelt by Gray as Acarana in 1833, Acerana in 1835 and Aracana in 1838. The 1838 name is the one used because it has become the most commonly used name. Grey did not explain the name but in 1835 he referred to boxfishes as "parrotfishes", so the name may refer the aracanga (Macrocercus aracanga), an old name for the scarlet macaw (Ara macao). The specific name aurita, means "eared", an allusion to the spines resembling horns above each eye, these horns together looking similar to a pair of ears. [6]

Description

Aracana aurita has 10 or 11 soft rays in the dorsal fin and in the anal fin while there are 11 or 12 soft rays in both the pectoral fin and caudal fin. A stiff, boxy carapce made up of sculptured bony plates girds the body. This carapace has large recurved spines along its ridges. The dorsal and anal fins are set very far back on the body and are opposite each other. The bony plates on the caudal peduncle are less well developed than the carapace but they almost form a complete band in adults. The lines on the snout are nearly horizontal. They show sexual dimorphism in the colouration with the males having bright colouration with light blue wavy lines and spots on an orange background colour. The females and juveniles have a light orange to light brown overall colour marked with irregular brown and white sinuous lines or stripes. [7] This species has a maximum published total length of 20 cm (7.9 in). [2]

Distribution and habitat

Aracana aurita is endneic to southern Australia from Newcastle, New South Wales south to Tasmania west to Kalbarri, Western Australia. They are found in seagrass beds and offshorecrocky reefs in sheltered watres in bays, harbours and inlets at depths between 10 and 160 m (33 and 525 ft). [7]

Biology

Aracana aurita prey on benthic invertebrates which they expose by blowing a jet of water into the substrate. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ostracion</i> Genus of fishes

Ostracion is a genus of 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scrawled cowfish</span> Species of fish

The scrawled cowfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aracanidae</span> Family of fishes

Aracanidae, the deep sea boxfishes or temperate boxfishes, are a family of marine ray-finned fishes belonong to the order Tetraodontiformes, which also includes the pufferfishes, triggerfishes and ocean sunfishes. The fishes in this family are found in the Indo-West Pacific region, particularly in the waters around Australia.

<i>Aracana</i> Genus of fishes

Aracana is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. These fishes are endemic to the waters around Australia.

<i>Caprichthys</i> Monospecific genus of fish

Caprichthys is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. The only species in the genus is the rigid boxfish, also known as the black-spotted boxfish or ornate pigmy boxfish which is endemic to southwestern Australia.

<i>Capropygia</i> Monospecific genus of fish

Capropygia is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. The only species in the genus is the black-banded pigmy boxfish, also known as the spiny boxfish which is endemic to southern Australia.

<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>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>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 ornata</i> Species of fish

Aracana ornata, the ornate cowfish or ornate boxfish, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thornback cowfish</span> Species of fish

The thornback cowfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This species is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the Bass Islands. It can grow to a maximum length of 23 cm (9 in). It is an uncommon fish that feeds on small invertebrates that it picks up off the sea bed.

<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>Anoplocapros lenticularis</i> Species of fish

Anoplocapros lenticularis, the white-barred boxfish, flame boxfish, high-backed boxfish, humpback boxfish, humpty dumpty or smooth boxfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. This fish is endemic to the seas of southern and western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island cowfish</span> Species of fish

The island cowfish, also known as the hogfish, bottlefish boxfish or island boxfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the cowfishes. This fish is found around the islands of the mid-Atlantic Ocean and has been recorded from Western Africa.

<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.

<i>Kentrocapros aculeatus</i> Species of fish

Kentrocapros aculeatus, the Itomaki basketfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish beloning to the family Aracanidae, the temperate boxfishes or deepwater boxfishes. This species is found in the north western and central Pacific Ocean.

Kentrocapros spilonotus, the Hawaiian basketfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Aracanidae, the temperate boxfishes or deepwater boxfishes. This species is known from two places in the Hawaiian Islands, one near Laysan and the other is the Penguin Bank.

<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. ↑ Holleman, W.; Fennessy, S.; Russell, B. & Matsuura, K. (2020). "Aracana aurita". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T158883594A158883903. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T158883594A158883903.en . Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Aracana aurita". FishBase . June 2024 version.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Aracana". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  4. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Aracanidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  5. ↑ Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 518–526. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN   2015037522. OCLC   951899884. OL   25909650M.
  6. ↑ Christopher Scharpf (21 August 2024). "Order TETRAODONTIFORMES: Families MOLIDAE, BALISTIDAE, MONACANTHIDAE, ARACANIDAE and OSTRACIIDAE". Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "Aracana aurita". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.