Icthyophaga

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Icthyophaga
Lesser fish eagle at Ranganathittu, India.jpg
Fahad’s fish eagle (Icthyophaga humilis)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Subfamily: Haliaeetinae
Genus: Icthyophaga
Lesson, 1843
Type species
Falco ichthyaetus
Horsfield, 1821
Species

See text.

Icthyophaga or Ichthyophaga is a genus of six species of eagles, closely related to the sea eagles in the genus Haliaeetus . In fact, some taxonomic authorities place this genus within Haliaeetus. Both are native to southeastern Asia, from the Indian subcontinent southeast to Sulawesi. They are smaller than the Haliaeetus eagles, though overlapping in size with the smaller species of that genus. They share similar plumage, with grey heads grading into dull grey-brown wings and bodies, and white belly and legs. They differ in tail colour, with the lesser fish eagle having a brown tail, and the grey-headed fish eagle having a white tail with a black terminal band, and also in size, with the lesser fish eagle only about half of the weight of the grey-headed fish eagle. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

The genus was established by René-Primevère Lesson in 1843, to accommodate a single species, the grey-headed fish eagle, which is therefore considered as the type species. Lesson used two spellings for its name: Icthyophaga and Icthyiophaga, but not Ichthyophaga. [2] [3] Traditionally, this genus was believed to include two species: the lesser fish eagle and the grey-headed fish eagle. [4] Erwin Stresemann and Dean Amadon mistakenly referred to the genus as Ichthyophaga in their work, and this erroneous usage persisted for a long time. However, the name Ichthyophaga actually belongs to a prolecithophoran turbellarian parasite in fish established by Syromiatnikova in 1949. [5] [3]

In 2005, a molecular systematic study based on nuclear and mitochondrial genes merged this genus into Haliaeetus . [6] In the same year, Ronald Sluys  [ de ] and Masaharu Kawakatsu proposed a replacement of Ichthyophaga with Piscinquilinus, [7] eliminating the controversial name for both birds and worms. A new family, Piscinquilinidae, has been proposed in 2017 to accommodate Piscinquilinus. [8] However, Ernest Williams and Lucy Bunkley-Williams opposed this proposal and advocated retaining the original name for the turbellarian genus Ichthyophaga. [3]

In 2017, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, following the suggestion of Ernest Williams and Lucy Bunkley-Williams, conserved both the bird genus Icthyophaga and the turbellarian genus Ichthyophaga in Case 3603. [9]

In 2023, based on latest molecular systematic studies, the International Ornithologists' Union resurrected Icthyophaga with its right name and transferred four species from Haliaeetus to this genus. [10] Therefore, this genus now includes the following six species:

ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistributionIUCN status
White Bellied Sea Eagle 070531b.jpg Icthyophaga leucogaster White-bellied sea eagle India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to Australia LC
Icthyophaga sanfordi Sanford's sea eagle Solomon Islands VU
African Fish Eagle AdF.jpg Icthyophaga vocifer African fish eagle Sub-Saharan Africa LC
Madagascan Fish Eagle - Ankarafantsika - Madagascar (15111026410) (2).jpg Icthyophaga vociferoides Madagascar fish eagle Madagascar CR
Lesser Fish Eagle - Icthyophaga humilis - DSC04901.jpg Icthyophaga humilis Lesser fish eagle Kashmir through southeast India, Nepal, and Burma towards Indochina NT
Grey-headed Fish-Eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) adult - Flickr - Lip Kee (3).jpg Icthyophaga ichthyaetus Grey-headed fish eagle Southeast Asia NT

Ecology

As both the common and generic names suggest, both fish eagle and the grey-headed fish eagle feed largely on fish, caught mainly in fresh water on lakes and large rivers, but also occasionally in salt water in estuaries and along coasts. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accipitridae</span> Family of birds of prey

The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a few feeding on fruit. The Accipitridae have a cosmopolitan distribution, being found on all the world's continents and a number of oceanic island groups. Some species are migratory. The family contains 255 species which are divided into 70 genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-bellied sea eagle</span> Large diurnal bird of prey

The white-bellied sea eagle, also known as the white-breasted sea eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related to Sanford's sea eagle of the Solomon Islands, and the two are considered a superspecies. A distinctive bird, the adult white-bellied sea eagle has a white head, breast, under-wing coverts and tail. The upper parts are grey and the black under-wing flight feathers contrast with the white coverts. The tail is short and wedge-shaped as in all Haliaeetinae species. Like many raptors, the female is larger than the male, and can measure up to 90 cm (35 in) long with a wingspan of up to 2.2 m (7.2 ft), and weigh 4.5 kg (9.9 lb). Immature birds have brown plumage, which is gradually replaced by white until the age of five or six years. The call is a loud goose-like honking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-headed fish eagle</span> Species of bird

The grey-headed fish eagle is a fish-eating bird of prey from South East Asia. It is a large stocky raptor with adults having dark brown upper body, grey head and lighter underbelly and white legs. Juveniles are paler with darker streaking. It is often confused with the lesser fish eagle and the Pallas's fish eagle. The lesser fish eagle is similar in plumage but smaller and the Pallas's fish eagle shares the same habitat and feeding behaviour but is larger with longer wings and darker underparts. Is often called tank eagle in Sri Lanka due to its fondness for irrigation tanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea eagle</span> Genus of birds

A sea eagle or fish eagle is any of the birds of prey in the subfamily Haliaeetinae of the bird of prey family Accipitridae. Ten extant species exist, currently described with this label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African fish eagle</span> Species of bird

The African fish eagle or the African sea eagle is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur. It is the national bird of Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. As a result of its large range, it is known in many languages. Examples of names include: Vis Arend in Afrikaans, nkwazi in Chewa, aigle pêcheur in French, hungwe in Shona, inkwazi in isiZulu, and ntšhu in Northern Sotho. This species may resemble the bald eagle in appearance; though related, the two species occur on different continents, with the bald eagle being resident in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar fish eagle</span> Species of bird

The Madagascar fish eagle or Madagascar sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers. It is endemic to the coastal strip in the northwest of Madagascar. It is about 63 cm (25 in) long and has a pale brown head, dark brown body and white tail. The Madagascar fish eagle has been suffering from a declining population and is threatened by habitat destruction and persecution, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "critically endangered".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pallas's fish eagle</span> Species of bird

Pallas's fish eagle, also known as Pallas's sea eagle or band-tailed fish eagle, is a large, brownish sea eagle. It breeds in the east Palearctic in Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is partially migratory, with Central Asian birds wintering among the southern Asian birds in northern India, and also further west to the Persian Gulf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser fish eagle</span> Species of bird

The lesser fish eagle is a species of Icthyophaga found in the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the foothills of the Himalayas, and south-east Asia. There are records from Gujarat, Central India and in more recent times from the Kaveri river valley in southern India, although the south Indian records are now thought to come from an isolated population, disjunct from the species' normal range. Some taxonomic authorities place this species in the monotypic genus Icthyophaga. Others place it in the genus Haliaeetus.

Sanford's sea eagle, also known as Sanford's fish eagle or the Solomon eagle, is a sea eagle endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago.

<i>Dugesia</i> Genus of flatworms

Dugesia is a genus of dugesiid triclads that contains some common representatives of the class Turbellaria. These common flatworms are found in freshwater habitats of Africa, Eurasia, and Australia. Dugesia is best known to non-specialists because of its regeneration capacities.

Romankenkius is a genus of freshwater planarian in the family Dugesiidae.

<i>Bipalium</i> Genus of flatworms

Bipalium is a genus of large predatory land planarians. They are often loosely called "hammerhead worms" or "broadhead planarians" because of the distinctive shape of their head region. Land planarians are unique in that they possess a "creeping sole", a highly ciliated region on the ventral epidermis that helps them to creep over the substrate. Native to Asia, several species are invasive to the United States, Canada, and Europe. Some studies have begun the investigation of the evolutionary ecology of these invasive planarians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dugesiidae</span> Family of flatworms

Dugesiidae is a family of freshwater planarians distributed worldwide. The type genus is Dugesia Girard, 1850.

<i>Girardia</i> Genus of flatworms

Girardia is a genus of freshwater planarians belonging to the family Dugesiidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenkiidae</span> Family of flatworms

Kenkiidae is a family of freshwater triclads. Their species can be found sporadically in caves, groundwater, and deep lakes in Central Asia, Far East and North America.

Cura is a genus of freshwater flatworm (triclads) belonging to the family Dugesiidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dimarcusidae</span> Family of flatworms

Dimarcusidae is a family of triclads found mostly in freshwater habitats of caves, although at least one species, Rhodax evelinae, occurs in surface waters. Currently the family contains only seven species distributed in five genera, although the total number of species is thought to be much higher.

Neppia is a genus of dugesiid triclad that is found in South America, Subantarctic region, Africa, Tasmania and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoplaninae</span> Subfamily of flatworms

Geoplaninae is a subfamily of land planarians endemic to the Neotropical region. Members of this family are sometimes referred to as the Neotropical land planarians. However, one species, Obama nungara has been introduced in Europe.

Novibipalium is a genus of land planarians of the subfamily Bipaliinae.

References

  1. 1 2 del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J., eds. (1994). Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol. 2. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona ISBN   84-87334-15-6.
  2. Lesson, RP (1843). "Index ornithologique". L'Écho du monde savant et l'Hermès: Journal analytique des nouvelles et des cours scientifiques. Année 10, Tome 5 (Semestre 1): columns 13–15 (page 6) [in French].
  3. 1 2 3 Williams, Ernest H.; Lucy Bunkley-Williams (1 August 2017). "An unnecessary replacement name for Ichthyophaga Syromiatnikova 1949 (Platyhelminthes: Prolecithophora) under Article 56.2; and an unnecessary emendation under Article 33.2.3 and the correct spelling of Icthyophaga Lesson 1843 (Aves: Accipitridae)". The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 74 (1): 136–137. doi:10.21805/bzn.v74.a037. S2CID   90690137.
  4. del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (1994). Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol. 2. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN   84-87334-15-6.
  5. Syromiatnikova, I.P. (1949). "A new turbellarian parasitic in fish and called Ichthyophaga subcutanea". Dokl Akad Nauk SSSR. 68: 805–808 (in Russian).
  6. Lerner, RL; Mindell, DP (2005). "Phylogeny of eagles, old world vultures, and other Accipitridae based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 37 (2): 327–346. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.04.010. PMID   15925523.
  7. Sluys, R.; Kawakatsu, M. (2005). "A replacement name for Ichthyophaga Syromiatnikova 1949 (Platyhelminthes: Prolecithophora) with a nomenclature analysis of its avian senior homonym [sic]". Species Diversity. 10: 63–68. doi: 10.12782/specdiv.10.63 .
  8. Laumer, Christopher E.; Giribet, Gonzalo (2017). "Phylogenetic relationships within Adiaphanida (phylum Platyhelminthes) and the status of the crustacean-parasitic genus Genostoma". Invertebrate Biology. 136 (2): 184–198. doi:10.1111/ivb.12169. ISSN   1077-8306.
  9. ICZN (2017). "Closure of Cases (2127, 3543, 3603, 3721, 3726, 3729, 3738, 3741)". Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature: 142–143.
  10. Gill, F; Donsker, D; Rasmussen, P, eds. (2023). IOC World Bird List (v 13.2). doi:10.14344/IOC.ML.13.2 (inactive 31 January 2024).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link)