Littlehead porgy

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Littlehead porgy
FMIB 52023 Little-head Porgy, Calamus proridens Jordan & Gilbert Key West.jpeg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Spariformes
Family: Sparidae
Genus: Calamus
Species:
C. proridens
Binomial name
Calamus proridens

The littlehead porgy (Calamus proridens) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. It is only found in the western portion of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, where they are often caught and used as food. [2] [3]

Contents

Taxonomy

The Littlehead porgy was first formally described in 1884 by the Ichthyologists David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert with its type locality given as Key West in Florida. [4] The genus Calamus is placed in the family Sparidae within the order Spariformes by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World . [5] Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Sparinae, [6] but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sparidae. [5]

Etymology

The littlehead porgy has the specific name proridens which is combination of prora, meaning prow" and dens, which means "teeth". This is an allusion to the large canine-like teeth on either side of the upper jaw in adults, these are diagonally pointing downwards and outwards. [7]

Description

While maturing, Littlehead porgies usually reach between 17 and 22 cm in length. Fully grown adults are commonly 37 cm, [3] although they have been recorded to grow up to 46 cm. [8] When compared to other members of their genus, they can be distinguished by having small scales, and relatively deep bodies with steep profiles. [9] The molar-like teeth, that all porgies have, are more similar to canines in this species. [9] Littlehead porgies are generally silver in color, with violet spots on their scales that form stripes on their upper bodies. [9] These stripes are then crossed by darker bars of color. [9] The Littlehead porgy has been described as one of the most brightly colored members of the porgy family, which contains well over 100 species in 37 genera. [10]

Distribution and habitat

Littlehead porgies are often found near coral reefs, such as this one near Key Largo. Pennekamp Coral.jpg
Littlehead porgies are often found near coral reefs, such as this one near Key Largo.

Known only from the western Atlantic Ocean, Littlehead porgies are found off the northeast coast of Florida and in the northern Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, [11] south to the Bay of Campeche, which lies to the west of the Yucatan Peninsula, [12] and northern South America. [13] They are normally associated with reefs, and can be found on hard spongey or coral bottoms where they feed primarily on invertebrates, such as crustaceans, [9] [14] and often migrate cyclically between feeding and spawning grounds. [15] The Littlehead porgy can be preyed upon by seabirds such as the Sooty tern. [12]

Related Research Articles

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

Sparidae is a family of ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Spariformes, the seabreams and porgies, although they were traditionally classified in the order Perciformes. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters around the world and are demersal carnivores.

<i>Calamus</i> (fish) Genus of fishes

Calamus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. Most of the species in this genus are found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, with 2 species occurring in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Pagellus</i> Genus of fishes

Pagellus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. These fishes are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the western Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilt-head bream</span> Mediterranean fish

The gilt-head bream, also known as the gilthead, gilt-head seabream or silver seabream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams or porgies. This fish is found in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. It is a highly esteemed food fish and an important species in aquaculture.

<i>Pagrus</i> Genus of fishes

Pagrus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. These fishes are found in the Western Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. They are esteemed food fishes which are targeted by commercial fisheries and are grown in aquaculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common dentex</span> Species of fish

The common dentex is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a highly valued food fish and is an important target species for fisheries and the population has shown large declines leading the International Union for Conservation of Nature to classify its conservation status as Vulnerable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheepshead porgy</span> Species of fish

The sheepshead porgy, also known as the littlemouth porgy or speckled porgy, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saucereye porgy</span> Species of fish

The saucereye porgy is an ocean-going species of fish in the family Sparidae. In Bermuda, they are also known as the goat's head porgy. In Jamaica, they are known as the Porgi grunt and the sugareye porgy. They may also be known simply by the name Porgy in several other Caribbean islands. Saucereye porgies are considered to be minor gamefishes and when caught are marketed both fresh and frozen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jolthead porgy</span> Species of fish

The jolthead porgy is an ocean-going species of fish in the family Sparidae. In Bermuda, it is known as the blue bone porgy, in the United States, it is also known by the Spanish name bojanado, in Jamaica, it is one of the species known by the name, porgi grunt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pluma porgy</span> Species of fish

The pluma porgy, also known as the West Indian porgy, pluma or pimento grunt, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knobbed porgy</span> Species of fish

The knobbed porgy is an ocean-going species of gamefish of the bream/porgy family, Sparidae. They are only found in the western portion of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, where they are often caught with trawling nets or by angling, and used as food. The knobbed porgy was named by John Randall and David K. Caldwell as part of a 1966 review of the genus Calamus, which was published in the academic journal Science. Randall and Caldwell also described three other species of Calamus in the paper.

<i>Pagellus bellottii</i> Species of fish

Pagellus bellottii, the red pandora, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the sea breams and porgies. This species is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

<i>Boops</i> Genus of fishes

Boops is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. There are two species in this genus, one in the Western Atlantic and Mediterranean, and the other in the Western Indian Ocean.

<i>Diplodus cervinus</i> Species of fish

Diplodus cervinus, the zebra sea bream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the temperate north eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

<i>Dentex</i> Genus of fishes

Dentex is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. The fishes in this genus are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Helena white seabream</span> Species of fish

The St. Helena white seabream is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This fish is endemic to the island of Saint Helena in the southern Atlantic.

The bulldog dentex is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. The bulldog dentex is the only species in the monospecific genus Virididentex and it is endemic to Cape Verde.

<i>Diplodus capensis</i> Species of fish

Diplodus capensis, the Cape white seabream or blacktail seabream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This fish is found around the coasts of Southern Africa.

<i>Pagellus acarne</i> Species of fish

Pagellus acarne, the axillary seabream or Spanish seabream is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

<i>Evynnis</i> Genus of fishes

Evynnis is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. The genus comprises 4 species, 3 in the Western Pacific Ocean and 1 in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean.

References

  1. ↑ Russell, B.; Carpenter, K.E. & MacDonald, T. (2014). "Calamus proridens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T170182A1288591. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T170182A1288591.en . Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  2. ↑ Ackerman Bill. Handbook of Fishes of the Atlantic Seaboard. 1951 Washington DC. American Publishing Company. p. 58
  3. 1 2 Randall, J.E. and R. Vergara R. 1978 Sparidae. In W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Central Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). FAO, Rome. Vol. 5. pag.var. fao.org
  4. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Calamus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  5. 1 2 Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 502–506. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN   2015037522. OCLC   951899884. OL   25909650M.
  6. ↑ Parenti, P. (2019). "An annotated checklist of the fishes of the family Sparidae". FishTaxa. 4 (2): 47–98.
  7. ↑ "Order SPARIFORMES: Families LETHRINIDAE, NEMIPTERIDAE and SPARIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Robins, C. R. and G. C. Ray 1986 A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. p. 354
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 La Monte Francesca. Marine Game Fishes of the World. 1952. Garden City, NY. Doubleday & Company, INC. p. 113
  10. ↑ Breder Charles, M. Field book of the Marine Fishes of the Atlantic Coast; From Labrador to Texas. New York, G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 183
  11. ↑ California Academy of Sciences collection data
  12. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Calamus poridens". Fishbase . April 2010 version.
  13. ↑ Anonymous 1999 Fish collection database of the Natural History Museum, London (formerly British Museum of Natural History (BMNH)). Natural History Museum, London (formerly British Museum of Natural History (BMNH)).
  14. ↑ Vaught Shaffer, R. and E.L. Nakamura 1989 Synopsis of biological data on the cobia Rachycentron canadum (Pisces: Rachycentridae). NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 82, FAO Fisheries Synopsis 153.
  15. ↑ Riede, K. 2004 Global register of migratory species - from global to regional scales. Final Report of the R&D-Projekt 808 05 081. Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Bonn, Germany. p. 329
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