| Girella zebra | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Kyphosidae |
| Genus: | Girella |
| Species: | G. zebra |
| Binomial name | |
| Girella zebra (Richardson, 1846) | |
| Synonyms [1] [2] | |
| |
Girella zebra, also known as zebrafish or stripey bream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub in the family Kyphosidae. It lives in the Indo-Pacific, where it is endemic to the coastal waters of the southern parts of Australia.
Girella zebra has a moderately short and deep, compressed, oval body with a relatively thin caudal peduncle. It has a small head with a bulging forehead and small eyes. The mouth is small, not extending to the level of the front of the eye. The maxilla are hidden beneath the preorbital bones. There are two rows of teeth on each jaw; the outer row consists of non-overlapping, flattened, tricuspid teeth, while the adjacent inner row is made up of a wide band of minute teeth similar in shape to the teeth in the outer row. The fish is largely covered in small ctenoid scales and the lateral line is continuous, has 72-80 scales and arches in parallel to the curve of the back. The dorsal fin is continuous and shows almost no difference in height between the spiny and soft-rayed parts. The spiny part has 14 spines, is around a third longer than the soft-rayed part, which as 13-15 soft rays, with the longest spines, which are marginally longer than the longest rays, are in its middle. The anal fin is similar in length and form to the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin and sits opposite it. The anal fin has three spines and 11 soft rays. The large caudal fin is broadly forked, the pectoral and pelvic fins are small, and the uppermost rays of the pectoral fin are the longest. [3] The adult G. zebra has a pale body with nine or ten dark bars on the flanks, which taper ventrally, with pale yellow fins. The juveniles are darker with more indistinct markings, [4] and may be confused for luderick. [3] This species grows to a maximum total length of 34 centimetres (13 in). [1]
Girella zebra is found in the Indian and western Pacific Ocean; it is endemic to southern Australia. [1] It can be found from Clarence River in New South Wales south to Tasmania, all along the southern Australian coast and up the western coast of Western Australia north to Port Denison. [3]
Girella zebra is normally found around rocky reefs in shallow coastal waters from 0–20 metres (0–66 ft) in depth. It may also be observed in sheltered offshore waters and in estuaries. [4]
The flattened teeth and long narrow gill rakers are used to feed on small prey. [5] [6] It is mainly a herbivore, [7] feeding on seaweeds, but it will also feed on benthic invertebrates such as sea squirts. [8] This is a schooling species. [9]
Members of the Girella zebra species are hosts to a recently discovered species of parasitic flatworms. Pholeohedra overstreeti was identified and described by dissecting the intestines of the Girella zebra, showing a parasitic relationship. [10]
There are a total of 18 species currently recognized as belonging to the Girella genus, including Girella cyanea, Girella elevata, Girella fimbriata, and Girella leonina . [11] G. zebra belong to the family Kyphosidae, which consists of a group of marine organisms called sea chubs. Kyphosidae are major macroalgal feeders on coral reefs. [12] Members of this family are widely distributed throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. [13] Kyphosidae is home to about 42 species divided into two subfamilies, Kyphosinae and Girellinae. [10]
Girella zebra was first formally described as Crenidens zebra by the Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer Sir John Richardson in volume 2 of his Ichthyology of the voyage of H. M. S. Erebus & Terror published in 1846. [14]
Girella zebra is rare in New South Wales. There, and in eastern Victoria, it hybridises with G. elevata . [3]
The silver sweep, also known as the false pompano, sweep, trumps or windawindawi, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the subfamily Scorpidinae of the sea chub family Kyphosidae. It is native to the southwestern Pacific Ocean from Australia to New Zealand.
The parore also known as luderick, black bream or blackfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae which is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean off Australia and New Zealand. Parore or paraore is the common name in New Zealand but in Australia luderick is preferred.
Chironemus is a genus of marine ray finned fish, commonly known as kelpfishes, belonging to the family Chironemidae. They are found in the temperate waters of the Southern Pacific Ocean.
Aplodactylus arctidens, the marblefish or southern seacarp, is a species of marine ray finned fish, one of the marblefishes belonging to the family Aplodactylidae. It is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
The notchheaded marblefish is a species of marine ray finned fish, one of the marblefishes belonging to the family Aplodactylidae. It is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
The silver drummer, also known as the buff bream, buffalo bream, buffs, common buffalo bream, drummer bream, Southern silver drummer or Sydney drummer, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is found in the southeastern Indian Ocean and the southwestern Pacific Ocean off Australia and New Zealand where they are found in shallow water near rocky reefs.
Latris lineata, the striped trumpeter, common trumpeter, copper moki, Hobart-town trumpeter, kokikohi, real trumpeter, Tasmanian striped trumpeter or Tasmanian trumpeter, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Latridae, the trumpeters. It is native to rocky reefs in the temperate oceans of the southern hemisphere.
The Microcanthinae, commonly known as footballers, mados, stripeys, and moonlighters, are a subfamily of the sea chubs, a family of marine ray-finned fish in the order Perciformes.
Kyphosus sectatrix, the Bermuda chub, Pacific drummer, beaked chub, grey drummer, Pacific chub or white chub, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. This species is found in tropical and subtropical coastal waters worldwide. It has had a confused taxonomic history dating back to Linnaeus's naming of the species in 1758.
The Gladius sea chub is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub in the family Kyphosidae. It was recognised a new species in 2013 and is found in the southeastern Indian Ocean where endemic to the southern coasts of Western Australia.
Kyphosus azureus, the zebra-perch sea chub, zebra perch or zebra sea chub, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae which is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean coasts of North America.
The stone bream is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae, which is native to the Indian Ocean coast of Africa where it can be found along rocky coasts from Mozambique to South Africa. This species grows to a length of 50 centimetres (20 in) SL though most do not exceed 18 centimetres (7.1 in). The greatest recorded weight for this fish is 2.6 kilograms (5.7 lb). This species is commercially important and is also popular as a game fish. This species is the only known member of its genus.
Kyphosus ocyurus, the blue-striped chub or rainbow chub, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. The species is found in the Pacific Ocean where it prefers rocky substrates.
Kyphosus elegans, the Cortez sea chub or Cortez chub, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean where it is of minor importance to commercial fisheries.
Girella elevata, the rock blackfish, Eastern rock blackfish, black rockfish or Eastern rock blackfish drummer is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean around eastern Australia and northern New Zealand.
Kyphosus bigibbus, the brown chub, grey drummer, darkfin drummer, insular rudderfish, grey chub, grey sea chub, southern drummer or topsail drummer is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is a herbivorous species which is found in subtropical and tropical seas worldwide.
Kyphosus vaigiensis, the brassy chub, brassy drummer, long-finned drummer, low-finned drummer, Northern silver drummer, Queensland drummer, Southern drummer, blue-bronze sea chub, brassy rudderfish, yellow seachub, large-tailed drummer, low-finned chub or long-finned rudderfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is a largely herbivorous species which has a circumglobal distribution. Studies in the 21st Century appear to have shown that some other species in the genus Kyphosus are junior synonyms of this taxon.
The Eastern striped grunter is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region where it is found in coastal waters and is an omnivore.
The rock cale, also known as the cockatoo fish, cocky, joey, rock cocky or sea carp, is a species of marine ray finned fish, one of the marblefishes belonging to the family Aplodactylidae. It is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Aplodactylus westralis, the Western sea carp or cockatoo morwong, is a species of marine ray finned fish, one of the marblefishes belonging to the family Aplodactylidae. It is found in the eastern Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia.