Choridactylus

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Choridactylus
Choridactylus multibarbus Day.png
Orangebanded stingfish (C. multibarbus)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Tribe: Choridactylini
Genus: Choridactylus
J. Richardson, 1848
Type species
Choridactylus multibarbus
Richardson, 1848 [1]
Synonyms [1]

Choridactylus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes, it is one of two genera in the tribe Choridactylini, one of the three tribes which are classified within the subfamily Synanceiinae within the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. They are commonly known as stingfishes. They are found in the Indo-West Pacific.

Contents

Taxonomy

Choridactylus was first described as a genus in 1848 by the Scottish naval surgeon, Arctic explorer and naturalist John Richardson as a monotypic genus. Its only species was Choridactylus multibarbus which Richardson had also described in 1848 with its type locality given as the “Sea of China”. [1] [2] It is one of two genera in the tribe Choridactylini within the subfamily Synanceiinae of the family Scorpaenidae. [3] However, some authorities classify this taxon as a subfamily Choridactylinae within the family Synanceiidae. [1] The generic name is made up of choris, meaning "separated", and dactylus, which means "finger", and allusion to the detached pectoral fin rays of C. multibarbus, a feature which “readily distinguished” it from other stonefishes known to Richardson. [4]

Species

There are currently four recognized species in this genus: [5]

Characteristics

Choridactylus stingfishes have 12-15 spines and 8-10 soft rays in the dorsal fin with 2 spines and 8-10 soft rays in the anal fin. The pectoral fins have 12 fin rays with the 3 lower rays being separated. They have small blunt heads with bulging eyes with an occipital depression. The mouth is small and slightly oblique with villiform teeth on the jaws with no vomerine teeth or palatine teeth. The body has small tentacles or skin flaps on the lower jaw, eye, spiny dorsal fin and spiny anal fin. There are tufts on the lateral line and upper body. [6] These fishes vary in size from a total length of 14 cm (5.5 in) in C. multibarbus and C. natalensis to 25 cm (9.8 in) in C. lineatus. [5]

Distribution and habitat

Choridactylus stingfishes are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, C. multibarbus is widespread reaching from Red Sea to the Philippines but the other three species are restricted to the western Indian Ocean. [5] These fishes occur in shallow waters over sandy substrates. [6]

Related Research Articles

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

Synanceiinae is a subfamily of venomous ray-finned fishes, waspfishes, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific oceans. They are primarily marine, though some species are known to live in fresh or brackish waters. The various species of this family are known informally as stonefish, stinger, stingfish and ghouls. Its species are known to have the most potent neurotoxins of all the fish venoms, secreted from glands at the base of their needle-like dorsal fin spines. The vernacular name, stonefish, for some of these fishes derives from their behaviour of camouflaging as rocks. The type species of the family is the estuarine stonefish.

The spotfin scorpionfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is known from the western Indian Ocean This species is the only known member of the genus Neoscorpanea.

<i>Sebastolobus</i> Genus of fishes

Sebastolobus, the thornyheads, is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Sebastinae, the rockfishes, part of the family Scorpaenidae. These fishes are native to the northern and eastern Pacific Ocean. They are generally found in deep waters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoothskin scorpionfish</span> Species of fish

The smoothskin scorpionfish is a species of ray-finned fish, a waspfish belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Coccotropsis. This species is endemic to the seas off South Africa.

<i>Inimicus</i> Genus of fishes

Inimicus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes, it is one of two genera in the tribe Choridactylini, one of the three tribes which are classified within the subfamily Synanceiinae within the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. These venomous, benthic fishes are found on sandy or silty substrates of lagoon and seaward reefs, in coastal regions of tropical oceans. The ten described species are collectively known by various common names, including ghoul, goblinfish, sea goblin, spiny devilfish, stinger, and stingfish.

<i>Eschmeyer nexus</i> Species of fish

Easchmeyer nexus is a species of marine ray-finned fish; it is the only species in the monotypic genus Eschmeyer and monogeneric family Eschmeyeridae. This fish is only known from the Pacific Ocean, near Fiji.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitted stonefish</span> Species of fishes

The pitted stonefish, also known as the Pacific monkey-fish, is a species of venomous ray-finned fish, a stonefish be longing to the subfamily Synanceiinae of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Erosa and is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Leptosynanceia is a monotypic genus of ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Synanceiinae, the stonefishes, which is classified within the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and relatives, its only species is Leptosynanceia asteroblepa which is called the mangrove stonefish in Malaysia. This species native to the brackish and fresh waters of Southeast Asia. This species grows to a total length of 23 centimetres (9.1 in). This species is an extremely dangerous fish whose venom can cause a human to die within 1 to 2 hours after contact. The pain caused by the venom is described as "agonizing".

<i>Minous</i> Genus of fishes

Minous, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes, it is the only genus in the tribe Minoini, one of the three tribes which are classified within the subfamily Synanceiinae within the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. They are commonly known as stingfishes. They are found in the Indo-West Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackfin stonefish</span> Genus of fishes

The blackfin stonefish is a species of venomous ray-finned fish, a stonefish be longing to the subfamily Synanceiinae of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. It is the only species in the monotypic genus. It is native to the western Indian Ocean where it occurs in areas with muddy bottoms. This species grows to a total length of 13 centimetres (5.1 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stargazing stonefish</span> Genus of fishes

The stargazing stonefish is a species of stonefish native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean where it is found on muddy bottoms in estuaries. This venomous species is also a minor component of local commercial fisheries. This species grows to a length of 8 centimetres (3.1 in) SL. This species is the only known member of the genus Trachicephalus.

<i>Ablabys</i> Genus of fishes

Ablabys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes, waspfishes belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. The fishes in this genus are found in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Neocentropogon is a poorly known genus of marine ray-finned fishes, waspfishes belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. The fishes in this genus are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Ocosia</i> Genus of fishes

Ocosia is a genus of ray-finned fishes, waspfishes belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. These fish are found in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Paracentropogon</i> Genus of fishes

Paracentropogon is a genus of ray-finned fishes, waspfishes belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives, These fish are found in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Richardsonichthys</i> Species of fish

Richardsonichthys, is a monotypic genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae, the waspfishes, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. The only species in the genus is the whiteface waspfish, also known as the whitebelly roguefish, rouge fish, Torres Strait soldier fish or Richardson's waspfish. This species is native to reefs of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Snyderina</i> Genus of fishes

Snyderina is a genus of ray-finned fishes, waspfishes belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. These fishes are found in the western Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Vespicula</i> Genus of fishes

Vespicula is a genus of venomous ray-finned fishes, waspfishes belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. These fishes are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. Although FishBase recognises this genus as valid, other authorities, such as the Catalog of Fishes regard it as a synonym of Trichosomus.

<i>Minous monodactylus</i> Species of fish

Minous monodactylus, the grey stingfish or grey goblinfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fishes, it is the only genus in the tribe Minoini, one of the three tribes which are classified within the subfamily Synanceiinae within the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. This species found in the Indo-Pacific and is venomous to humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choridactylini</span> Tribe of fishes

Choridactylini, commonly known as stingfishes, stingers or ghouls, is a tribe of venomous ray-finned fishes classified within the subfamily Synanceiinae, the stonefishes, part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Choridactylinae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Choridactylus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  3. J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 468–475. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  4. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (10 March 2022). "Order Perciformes (Part 10): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Families Apistidae, Tetrarogidae, Synanceiidae, Aploacrinidae, Perryenidae, Eschmeyeridae, Pataceidae, Gnathanacanthidae, Congiopodidae and Zanclorhynchidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2022). Species of Choridactylus in FishBase . February 2022 version.
  6. 1 2 Eschmeyer, W. N.; Hallacher, L. E.; and Rama-Rao, K. V. (1979). "Fishes of the Scorpionfish subfamily Choridactylinae From the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 41 (21): 475–500.