Emmelichthys nitidus | |
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Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Acanthuriformes |
Family: | Emmelichthyidae |
Genus: | Emmelichthys |
Species: | E. nitidus |
Binomial name | |
Emmelichthys nitidus J. Richardson, 1845 | |
Emmelichthys nitidus, the Cape bonnetmouth, bonnetmouth, redbait, pearl fish, picarel, red baitfish, red herring or Southern rover, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Emmelichthyidae, the rovers and bonnetmouths. This species is found in the Indian and Pacific oceans. This species is of minor importance to commercial fisheries.
Emmelichthys nitidus was first formally described in 1845 by the Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer Sir John Richardson with its type locality given as Western Australia. [2] Richardson classified the new species in a new monospecific genus, Emmelichthys , so this species is that genus’s type species. [3] The Cape bonnetmouth was formerly split into two subspecies but what was the southeastern Pacific subspecies E. n. cyanescens has been treated as a separate valid species Emmelichthys cyanescens [4] since 2014. [1] The specific name nitidus means “neat”, Richardson described the fish as having a “neat aspect”. [5]
Emmelichthys nitidus has a slender, slightly compressed body which is around a fifth as deep as its standard length and with a caudal peduncle which is very thin just in front of the caudal fin. It has a moderately small head with large eyes and a moderately-sized, oblique and highly protrusible mouth with just a small number of small conical teeth on the front of the lower jaw with the upper jaw usually being toothless and no teeth on the vomer, palatine or tongue, The head and body are covered in small ctenoid scales except for over the preorbital area and the tip of the snout. The dorsal fin contains 13 or 15 spines, with the first 9 or 10 spines contained in the fin membrane with 2 or 3 short isolated spines with the final spine being connected to the membrane of the soft rayed part of the fin which is supported by between 9 and 11 soft rays. The anal fin is supported by 3 spines and 9 or 10 soft rays. The caudal fin is forked, the pectoral fins are of moderate size and have rounded tips while the pelvic fins are small. [6] This species reached a maximum total length of 55 cm (22 in). [7] The colour of the body is a metallic blue-grey on the upper body, with silver flanks and ventral surface, with the flanks having a pink flush and pinkish fins. [8]
Emmelichthys nitidus is found in the south eastern Atlantic around Tristan da Cunha and along the southern African coast in Namibia south to the Western Cape. In the Indian Ocean it has been recorded from Madagascar and occurs around St. Paul and Amsterdam islands. [1] It occurs along the southern coasts of Australia from southern Western Australia east to Sydney and off Tasmania. It is also found in New Zealand waters. [6] It is a pelagic species found in open water at depths between 86 and 500 m (282 and 1,640 ft). [7]
Emmelichthys nitidus gathers in schools with the juveniles being found near the surface, frequently mixed in with schools of other pelagic fish, especially clupeids while the adults occur close to the bottom in deeper water. [7] They feed on zooplankton, particularly crustaceans such as krill. [6] It is an important prey for a number of marine predators such as tuna, seabirds and marine mammals. Off Tasmania they have a spawning season which lasts for two months and is stimulated by the rising of the water temperature in Spring. [1] The females spawn asynchronously in batchesbut the number of eggs laid is unknown but they spawn a batch of eggs every 3-5 days. [7]
Emmelichthys nitidus is targeted by trawl fisheries and the catch is used for human consumption, for fishmeal human consumption, fishmeal, which is used in the aquaculture of bluefin tuna, and as bait. It is a frequent bycatch in the pichard fishery off New Zealand and in the demersal trawl fishery for hake off South Africa, where it is then sold as bait. [1]
Emmelichthyidae is a small family of small to medium-sized marine ray-finned fishes known commonly as rovers, bonnetmouths or rubyfishes.
The rubyfish, also known as the cosmopolitan rubyfish, red ruby or ruby rover, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Emmelichthyidae, the rovers, bonnetmouths and rubyfishes. This species is found from the southeastern Atlantic Ocean off South Africa through the Indian Ocean to the southwestern Pacific Ocean around Australia and New Zealand. This species is commercially important.
The redspotted hawkfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a hawkfish belonging to the family Cirrhitidae. It is found at depths from 2 to 46 m on tropical reefs in the Western Atlantic. The Redspotted Hawkfish is also found in the aquarium trade.
Bellator militaris, the horned sea robin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the sea robins. This fish is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Paranotothenia magellanica, also known as Magellanic rockcod, Maori cod, blue notothenia or orange throat notothen, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes. It is native to the Southern Ocean. "Maori chief" and "black cod", sometimes used for this species, usually refer to fishes from the related genus Notothenia. Being a perciform fish, it is unrelated to the true cods of the order Gadiformes. This species is commercially important as a food fish.
Pterocaesio is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, fuiliers belonging to the family Caesionidae. They are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Pleurogrammus is a genus of ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Hexagrammidae, the greenlings, known as Atka mackerels. These fishes are found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Chaenodraco wilsoni, the spiny icefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is native to the Southern Ocean. This species is the only known member of its genus. It is of minor interest to commercial fisheries.
Pseudochaenichthys is a monotypic genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. Its only member is Pseudochaenichthys georgianus, the South Georgia icefish, which is found in the Southern Ocean.
Emmelichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Emmelichthyidae, the rovers and bonnetmouths. The species in this genus are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Plagiogeneion i is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Emmelichthyidae, the rovers, bonnetmouths or rubyfishes. The fishes in this genus are found in the southeastern Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
Caesio caerulaurea, the blue and gold fusilier, blue fusilier, gold-band fusilier or scissor-tailed fusilier, is a species of marine fish in the family Caesionidae. It is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area, including the Red Sea.
The dara is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunt belonging to the family Haemulidae. It is native to the Atlantic coast of Africa. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Parakuhlia.
Bairdiella is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Reeve's croaker, also known as the goldbelly croaker, golden corvina, yellowfin croaker or yellowfin corvina, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species is found in the coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific region. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Chrysochir.
Pterocaesio pisang, the banana fusilier or ruddy fusilier, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Caesionidae. It is widespread around reefs in the Indo-West Pacific region.
Caesio cuning, the redbelly yellowtail fusilier, yellowtail fusilier, red-bellied fusilier or robust fusilier, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Caesionidae. It is native to the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
The African forktail snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Pterygotrigla polyommata, the latchet, butterfly gurnard, flying gurnard, lachet gurnard, pastry, sharpbeak gurnard, spiny gurnard or spinybeak gurnard, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It is found in the southeastern Indian and southwestern Pacific Oceans.
The Japanese rubyfish also known as the Pacific rover or dusky rover, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Emmelichthyidae, the rovers, bonnetmouths and rubyfishes. This fish is found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.