Kurtus

Last updated

Kurtus
Kurtus indicus.jpg
male Indian humphead (K. indicus)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gobiiformes
Family: Kurtidae
Bleeker, 1859
Genus: Kurtus
Bloch, 1786
Type species
Kurtus indicus
Bloch, 1786
Synonyms
  • CyrtusMinding, 1832
  • Curtus (misspelling)

Kurtus is a genus of percomorph fishes, called the nurseryfishes, forehead brooders, or incubator fish, native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters ranging from India, through southeast Asia, to New Guinea and northern Australia. Kurtus is currently the only known genus in the family Kurtidae, [1] [2] one of two families in the order Kurtiformes. [3] They are famous for carrying their egg clusters on hooks protruding from the forehead (supraoccipital) of the males, although this only has been documented in K. gulliveri and available evidence strongly suggests this is not done by K. indicus (where the hook likely also is too small to carry embryos). [4] Females do not have a hook. [4]

Male Nurseryfish with embryos - photographed inside net by Time M. Berra Nurseryfish in net.jpg
Male Nurseryfish with embryos - photographed inside net by Time M. Berra

In addition to the egg hook, the kurtid gas bladder is enclosed in a tubular bony structure evolved from the ribs. In both species, the back is elevated into a hump shape[ citation needed ].

Despite their unusual reproductive habits, little is known about these species. Historically, they have proven very difficult to keep alive in aquaria, although recent success with K. gulliveri has been achieved by Tokyo Sea Life Park in Japan[ citation needed ].

Species

The currently recognized species in this genus are: [5]

Related Research Articles

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

The ricefishes are a family (Adrianichthyidae) of small ray-finned fish that are found in fresh and brackish waters from India to Japan and out into the Malay Archipelago, most notably Sulawesi. The common name ricefish derives from the fact that some species are found in rice paddies. This family consists of about 37 species in two genera. Several species are rare and threatened, and some 2–4 may already be extinct.

<i>Paracheirodon</i> Genus of fishes

Paracheirodon is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Characidae of the order Characiformes. The type species is P. innesi, the well-known neon tetra, and the Paracheirodon species are among the fishes known as tetras. All species of this genus are native to the Neotropical realm, occurring in the Orinoco and Amazon Basins in northern South America.

<i>Parambassis</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

Parambassis is a genus of freshwater fish in the Asiatic glassfish family Ambassidae of order Perciformes. The type species is the Iridescent glassy perchlet. These fishes originate mostly from Southeast Asia, but the species range across the Indomalayan and Australasian realms, from Pakistan, China and India south through Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia. Although primiarly found in fresh water, a few species can also be seen in brackish water. The Parambassis species range in maximum size from 4–24 cm (1.5–9.5 in), but they are similar in appearance, with a lozenge-shaped form, typical perciform fins, and semitransparent or transparent body. Several of the species are common food fish in local markets, and some are kept as aquarium fish.

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

The viviparous brotulas form a family, the Bythitidae, of ophidiiform fishes. They are known as viviparous brotulas as they generally bear live young, although there are indications that some species do not. They are generally infrequently seen, somewhat tadpole-like in overall shape and mostly about 5–10 cm (2–4 in) in length, but some species grow far larger and may surpass 60 cm (2 ft).

<i>Cyphotilapia</i> Genus of fishes

Cyphotilapia is a small genus of African cichlids endemic to Lake Tanganyika, with C. frontosa being roughly confined to the northern half of the lake and C. gibberosa roughly to the southern half. They have a distinctly banded pattern, bulbous foreheads when mature and can reach up to 33 cm in length.

<i>Osphronemus</i> Genus of fishes

Osphronemus is a genus of large gouramis, the only genus within the subfamily Osphroneminae. These fish are known as the giant gouramis and are native to rivers, lakes, pools, swamps and floodplains in Southeast Asia, with O. exodon from the Mekong basin, O. laticlavius and O. septemfasciatus from Borneo, while O. goramy is relatively widespread. O. goramy has been introduced outside its native range in Asia, Africa and Australia.

<i>Batasio</i> Genus of fishes

Batasio is a genus of catfish of the family Bagridae. These small fish are found in fast-flowing hillstreams throughout South and mainland Southeast Asia.

<i>Bagrichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Bagrichthys is a genus of bagrid catfishes.

<i>Hyalobagrus</i> Genus of fishes

Hyalobagrus is a genus of bagrid catfishes found in Southeast Asia.

<i>Carangoides</i> Genus of fishes

Carangoides is a genus of tropical to subtropical marine fishes in the jack family, Carangidae. They are small- to large-sized, deep-bodied fish characterised by a certain gill raker and jaw morphology, often appearing very similar to jacks in the genus Caranx. They inhabit the subtropical and tropical regions of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans, often occupying coastal areas, including reefs, bays, and estuaries, rarely venturing far offshore. They are all predatory fishes, taking a variety of smaller fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods as prey. The genus was first erected in 1851 by Pieter Bleeker for an unknown taxon and currently contains 20 species. Many make up significant proportions of various fisheries, although a number of ciguatera cases have been attributed to them.

<i>Taeniamia zosterophora</i> Species of fish

Taeniamia zosterophora, the girdled cardinalfish, is a species of cardinalfish native to the western Pacific Ocean from Indonesia to Vanuatu and from the Ryukyus to Australia. It is in the genus Taeniamia, which was described in 2013. This species can be found on reefs in protected bays and lagoons, occurring in dense schools around and among the branches of various species of branching corals, notably Porites cylindrica and species of Acropora and over sandy patches. It is found at depths from 1 to 40 m. This species can reach a total length of 8 cm (3.1 in). It can be distinguished by two narrow vertical red stripes next to its gills and by a distinct small black dot at the base of its tail. It occasionallyis found in the aquarium trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronze featherback</span> Species of ray-finned fish

The bronze featherback is a ray-finned fish in the family Notopteridae found in South and Southeast Asia. Although primarily found in fresh water, it has been known to enter brackish water. At present, it is the only member of the genus Notopterus, but as currently defined, it is likely a species complex.

Ancistrogobius is a genus of gobies native to the western Pacific Ocean. The first fossil record of this genus is Ancistrogobius indicus from the Burdigalian of southwestern India.

<i>Archamia</i> Genus of fishes

Archamia bleekeri, also known as Gon's cardinalfish, is a species of fish in the family Apogonidae, the cardinalfishes. It is native to the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean from Africa to Indonesia and from Taiwan to Queensland, Australia. This species occurs in mangrove forests and reefs, and is an inhabitant of shipwrecks, preferring silty areas with muddy or sandy substrates. This species grows to a total length of 10 cm (3.9 in). This species is the only member of the genus Archamia. The other species were moved to the new genus Taeniamia in 2013.

<i>Taeniamia</i> Genus of fishes

Taeniamia is a genus of cardinalfishes native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Kurtus gulliveri, the nurseryfish, is a species of fish in the family Kurtidae native to fresh and brackish waters in southern New Guinea and northern Australia. This species is famous for its unusual breeding strategy where the male carries the egg cluster on a hook protruding from the forehead (supraoccipital). Females do not have a hook. It feeds on crustaceans, small fish and insect larvae. This species is well regarded as food. The specific name honours a "Mr Gulliver" who collected the type, thought most likely to refer to Thomas Allen Gulliver (1847-1931) who worked on Australia's a post and telegraph services and who lived near the Norman River, Gulf of Carpentaria where he collected natural history specimens and where the type of this species was collected.

<i>Kurtus indicus</i> Species of fish

Kurtus indicus, the Indian humphead, is a species of fish in the family Kurtidae native to fresh, brackish, and marine waters of the coastal regions of southern Asia from India to southeast China and Indonesia. It resembles the closely related K. gulliveri, but is far smaller, only reaching a length of 12.6 cm (5 in). Although it has been suggested that the male carries the egg cluster on a hook protruding from the forehead, available evidence strongly suggests this is not the case in K. indicus: Out of several thousand examined, none carried eggs in this manner and the male's hook is likely also too small. The female lacks the hook entirely. It is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurtiformes</span> Order of ray-finned fishes

The Kurtiformes consist of two extant families of ray-finned fish, the Indo-Pacific Kurtidae and the much more diverse and widespread Apogonidae. The order is part of the Percomorpha clade and is regarded by many authorities as a sister taxon to the Gobiiformes.

<i>Congrogadus</i> Genus of fishes

Congrogadus is a genus of ray-finned fishes, the type genus of the subfamily Congrogadinae, the eel blennies, part of the dottyback family, Pseudochromidae. The genus Congrogadus has an Indo-Pacific distribution.

References

  1. Johnson, G.D. & Gill, A.C. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 189. ISBN   0-12-547665-5.
  2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Kurtidae". FishBase . August 2013 version.
  3. J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. p. 752. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6.
  4. 1 2 Berra, Tim (2003). Nurseryfish, Kurtus gulliveri (Perciformes: Kurtidae), from northern Australia: redescription, distribution, egg mass, and comparison with K. indicus from southeast Asia. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters 14(4): 295–306.
  5. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Kurtus". FishBase . August 2013 version.