Insidiator

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Insidiator
Platycephalus macracanthus Ford 59.jpg
Insidiator macracanthus syn. Platycephalus macracanthus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Platycephalidae
Genus: Insidiator
D. S. Jordan [D. S.] & Snyder, 1900
Type species
Platycephalus rudis, a synonym of Insidiator meerdervoortii
Günther, 1877 [1]
Synonyms [1]
  • Suggrundus Whitley, 1930
  • RepotrudisWhitley, 1930
  • SeychellicepsProkofiev, 2019

Insidiator is a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.

Contents

Taxonomy

Insidiator was first proposed as a monotypic genus in 1900 by the American ichthyologists David Starr Jordan and John Otterbein Snyder with Platycephalus rudis, which had been described in 1877 from Yokohama in Japan, designated as its type species. [1] [2] In 1930 the Australian ichthyologist Gilbert Percy Whitley proposed the replacement name Suggrundus for this genus because he thought Jordan and Snyder's name was preoccupied by Insidiator Oken 1842 or by Insidiator Amyot 1845 but these names were objectively invalid and the original name is valid and Suggrundus is a junior synonym of Insidiator D. S. Jordan & Snyder 1900. [3] This genus is classified within the family Playtcephalidae, the flatheads which the 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies within the suborder Platycephaloidei in the order Scorpaeniformes. [4]

Etymology

Insidiator means "ambusher" or "lurker", an allusion Jordan and Snyder did not explain, it may refer to the ambush predatory behaviour of the flatheads, in which they hide in the sediment with only the eyes showing, and striking suddenly at passing prey which is swallowed whole by their large mouths. Jordan and Snyder may have taken inspiration for this name from Forsskål's Cottus insidiator, a junior synonym of the bartail flathead (Platycephalus indicus). [5]

Species

Insidiator currently contains 3 valid species: [6] [2]

Characteristics

Insidiator flatheads have at least 2 spines on the preoperculum, with the upper spine being the longest, bayonet like and extending past the margin of the operculum. There is no elongation of the upper lobe of the caudal fin with no elongated filament extending out from that fin. The first dorsal fin has between 8 or 9 spines. the second being equal in height to the third, while the second dorsal fin has no more than 12 soft rays. There are 2 separate patches of vomerine teeth. There are between 48 and 56 pored scales, each with 2 pores, on the lateral line with spines on the scales in the anterior portion of that line. The diagonal rows of scales run downwards and backwards over lateral line and the number of these rows is roughly about equal to the number of scales in the lateral line, typically with a difference of only 1 or 2 scales. The margin of the pectoral fin is not curved. The bony ridges on the head have a few larger spines and the side of head below the eye has two ridges. The lappet on the iris is either branched with short branches or crenulated. There is a single preocular spine which can have a cluster of smaller spines around its base. The upper preopercular spine bayonet-like, reaching to or past opercular margin. [7] The maximum length attained by these fishes varies from a standard length of 16.4 cm (6.5 in) in I. meerdervoortii to a total length of 30 cm (12 in) in I. cooperi. [6]

Distribution and habitat

Insidiator flatfishes are found in the Indo-West Pacific from the Seychelles [8] east to the Coral Sea, south to Australia [9] and north to Japan. [10] They are demersal fish found at depths down to 132 m (433 ft). [9]

Related Research Articles

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

The Platycephalidae are a family of marine fish, most commonly referred to as flatheads. They are relatives of the popular lionfish, belonging to the order Scorpaeniformes.

<i>Platycephalus</i> Genus of fishes

Platycephalus is a genus of mostly marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. They are found in the eastern Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tentacled flathead</span> Species of fish

The tentacled flathead, also known as the Indian Ocean crocodilefish, Madagascar flathead or longhead flathead, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. This species is in the western Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, having invaded as a Lessepsian migrant through the Suez Canal. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Papilloculiceps.

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

Bembridae, the deep-water flatheads, are a family of bottom-dwelling ray-finned fishes. They are found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartail flathead</span> Species of fish

The bartail flathead, also known as the Indian flathead, gobi or Indo-Pacific flathead, is a species of largely marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. This species is found in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean, and has invaded the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Platycephaloidei</span> Suborder of fish

Platycephaloidei is a suborder of ray-finned fishes, part of the order Scorpaeniformes, and includes the flatheads, ghost flatheads and sea robins.

<i>Hoplichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Hoplichthys, the ghost flatheads, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This genus is the only member of the family Hoplichthyidae.

<i>Cociella</i> Genus of fishes

Cociella is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Cymbacephalus</i> Genus of fishes

Cymbacephalus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwarf flathead</span> Species of fish

The dwarf flathead is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found in the Indo-Pacific. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Elates.

<i>Grammoplites</i> Genus of fishes

Grammoplites is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

The spiny flathead, also known as the whitefin flathead or Bengal flathead, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific region. This species is the only known member of its genus.

<i>Onigocia</i> Genus of fishes

Onigocia is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Ratabulus is a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Rogadius</i> Genus of fishes

Rogadius is a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Sunagocia</i> Genus of fishes

Sunagociais a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the Indian and Pacific oceans.

<i>Thysanophrys</i> Genus of fishes

Thysanophrys is a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Cociella somaliensis is a species of demersal, marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found in the north western Indian Ocean.

Inegocia japonica, the Japanese flathead, rusty flathead or smooth flathead, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuberculated flathead</span> Species of fish

The tuberculated flathead is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. This species is found in Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Platycephalidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Insidiator". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  3. ↑ Imamura, Hisashi & Hoese, Doug (2020). "Insidiator Jordan and Snyder 1900, a valid genus of the family Platycephalidae (Scorpaeniformes)". Ichthyological Research. 67 (4): 541–544. doi:10.1007/s10228-020-00742-w. S2CID   215575329.
  4. ↑ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 467–495. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  5. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (7 December 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 11): Suborder Platycephaloidei: Families Bembridae, Parabembridae, Hoplichthyidae, Platycephalidae and Plectrogeniidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  6. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Suggrundus". FishBase . February 2022 version.
  7. ↑ L.W. Poss (1999). "Platycephalidae Flatheads". In Carpenter, K.E.; Niem, V.H. (eds.). FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 4. Bony fishes part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). FAO, Rome. pp. 2385–2421. ISBN   9251043019.
  8. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Suggrundus cooperi". FishBase . February 2022 version.
  9. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Suggrundus macracanthus". FishBase . February 2022 version.
  10. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Suggrundus meerdervoortii". FishBase . February 2022 version.
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