Jack-knifefish | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Acanthuriformes |
Family: | Sciaenidae |
Genus: | Eques Bloch, 1793 |
Species: | E. lanceolatus |
Binomial name | |
Eques lanceolatus | |
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Jack-knifefish range. [1] | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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The jack-knifefish (Eques lanceolatus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean, where its distribution extends along the eastern coasts of the Americas from the Carolinas in the United States to Brazil, including the Caribbean. [1] Other common names include donkey fish and lance-shaped ribbonfish. [1]
The jack-knifefish was first formally described as Chaetodon lanceolatus in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae with its type locality given, erroneously as India, when it should have been the Bahamas. [3] In 1793 the German physician and naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch described a new species, Eques americanus, from the Western Atlantic and placed it in the new monospecific genus Eques. [4] Bloch's genus name was considered to be preoccupied by a name Linnaeus had used for a subgenus of Papilio , and Constantine Samuel Rafinesque created Equites to replace Bloch's Eques, however, Linnaeus's name is considered to be invalid so Eques is now considered valid. [5] Fishbase treats the genus as monospecific with this species as the only species [2] but other authorities include the spotted drum (Equetus punctatus) in the genus, treating Equetus as a synonym of Eques. [3] This taxon has been placed in the subfamily Sciaeninae by some workers, [6] but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sciaenidae which it places in the order Acanthuriformes. [7]
This fish reaches about 25 centimeters in maximum length. The first dorsal fin is very tall. The body is gray in color with three brown or black bands. The first two bands are small and vertical, and the third extends from the tip of the tall dorsal fin down the body to the tip of the tail fin. [2]
This marine fish is mostly found along coasts in waters up to 60 meters deep, especially in reef habitat. [1]
This species feeds on small invertebrates, and sometimes detritus. [1]
This species is sometimes kept in marine aquaria. [1] It can be bred in captivity. [2]
This species is not considered to be threatened. The aquarium trade does not significantly impact populations, even though it is valuable and easy to collect from the wild. It has a wide distribution, and in many areas it is a common species. [1]
Menticirrhus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonng to the family Sciaenidae, the drums or croakers. They are commonly known as kingcroakers or kingfish. These fish are found in the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans.
Pogonias is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Sciaenidae. It was formerly believed to be a monotypic genus only containing the black drum, but a second species was re-described in 2019.
The spotted drum or spotted ribbonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Cilus, is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the croakers and drums. Its only species is Cilus gilberti, the corvina or corvina drum, which is found mostly tropical to temperate coastal waters of the southeastern Pacific along Central and South America. The corvina is highly prized in South America as a food fish.
Pareques acuminatus, commonly known as the high-hat, donkeyfish, cubbyu, Steindachner's ribbonfish, streaked ribbonfish, striped ribbonfish or striped drum, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the genus Pareques in the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Sciaena is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Nebris is a small genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. There are two species in the genus, one in the Western Atlantic Ocean and one in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The blackspotted croaker, also known in Australia as the black jewfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This fish is found in the Indo-Pacific region. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Protonibea.
Umbrina is a genus of fish from the croaker family Sciaenidae. The genus contains 17 species occurring in tropical and warm temperate waters of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Western Indian Ocean and the eastern Pacific.
Pareques 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 Ocean and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Lonchurus 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.
Eques is a small genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.
Isopisthus 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 Oceans.
Johnius carutta, the karut croaker or purple jewfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species is found in the western Indian Ocean.
The kathala croaker is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species is found in the Indian Ocean off South Asia. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Kathala.
Macrodon is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the eastern Pacific and western Atlantic Oceans.
Paralonchurus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the eastern Pacific Ocean with one species in the western Atlantic Ocean.
The half-mourning croaker is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Paranibea. This fish is found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Protosciaena is a small genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.
The boe drum is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Pteroscion. The boe drum is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off western coast of Africa.