Naso (fish)

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Naso
Temporal range: Eocene to present [1]
Bluespine Unicornfish, Emily Bay, Kingston 2899, Norfolk Island imported from iNaturalist photo 173453689 (cropped).jpg
Bluespine unicornfish (N. unicornis)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Subfamily: Nasinae
Fowler & Bean, 1929
Genus: Naso
Lacépède, 1801
Type species
Acanthurus fronticornis
Lacepède, 1801
Species

20., see text

Synonyms [2]
List

Naso is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family, Acanthuridae, the unicornfishes, surgeonfishes and tangs. The fishes in this genus are known commonly as unicornfishes because of the "rostral protuberance", a hornlike extension of the forehead present in some species. [3]

Contents

Unicorn fish are popular with spearfishermen [4] and may be cooked by grilling them whole. [5] Unicornfish primarily live around coral reefs and eat mostly algae. [6]

This genus is distributed across the Indo-Pacific from Africa to Hawaii. [7]

Taxonomy

Naso was first proposed as a genus in 1801 by Bernard Germain de Lacépède when he described Naso fronticornis as a new species from Jeddah and Mauritius. [2] Lacépède's name was an unnecessary replacement of Chaetodon unicornis described by Peter Forsskål in 1775 from Jeddah. [8] In 1917 David Starr Jordan designated Naso fronticornis as the type species of the genus Naso. [2] Naso is the only genus in the monogeneric subfamily Nasinae, proposed by Henry Weed Fowler and Barton Appler Bean in 1929 [9] within the family Acanthuridae. [10]

Etymology

Naso means "nose" referring to the fleshy protuberance on the forehead of N. fronticornis (=unicornis). The subgenus Axinurus comes from axino and oura, meaning axe-tail, potentially referring to the presence of a single tail spine on each side as opposed to two in the subgenus Naso. [11]

Distribution

Naso unicornfishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region from the eastern coast of Africa to the Galápagos Islands. [12]

Characteristics

Naso unicornfishes have a pointed snout and a rhomboidal or oval shaped body, with some species possessing a long protuberance on the forehead, typically present in both males and females. The caudal peduncle is slender and there are 1 or 2 anteriorly directed sharp, blade-shaped spines mounted on bony plates on each side. The caudal fin varies from slightly rounded to highly emarginate. In some species there are long filaments at the tips of the lobes of the caudal fin, sometimes restricted to males. The dorsal fins of these fishes are supported by between 4 and 7 spines and between 24 and 31 soft rays while the anal fin contains 2 spines and 23 to 30 soft rays. There is a single spine and 3 soft rays in the pelvic fins and between 16 and 19 soft rays in the pectoral fins. [12]

The species in the genus Naso vary in size from a maximum published standard length of 30 cm (12 in) in the slender unicorn (N. minor) to a maximum published total length of 100 cm (39 in) in the whitemargin unicornfish (N. annulatus). [13]

There are two subgenera which are distinguished by the number of keels on the caudal peduncle with the nominate subgenus, Naso having a pair on each side of the peduncle while the subgenus Axinurus has a single keel on each side. [14]

Biology

Naso unicornfishes differ from other acanthurids in that they eat zooplankton rather than grazing on algae or detritus and that they tend to live at greater ranges of depth. [12]

Cephalic horn function

Some species exhibit a large horn on the forehead. It is uncertain what the purpose of this horn is. One explanation postulates that is a result of sexual selection, ie serving a purpose in competition and communication, which may be within or between the sexes, or both. Alternatively, it has been hypothesized that they instead perform a hydrodynamic function, assisting the species that exhibit them with precision movements. This is because both fast swimming "scombriform" shaped species and small species typically lack the horn, while it is only the large relatively slow-swimming species which display the horn. [15]

Molecular phylogenetics show that horns independently evolved multiple times within the genus, and only ever evolved in benthic feeding species. Similarly, benthic-feeding also evolved multiple times independently. In addition, pelagic feeding and the fast-swimming "scombriform" body shape appear to be plesiomorphic traits. This is because the basalmost species in Naso are the pelagic feeding "scombriform" species in the subgenus Axinurus, and because every other acanthurid genus comprises predominantly benthic feeders. [16]

In some species, both males and females display such a horn. In at least some species where this is the case, such as the bluespine unicornfish, the horn is slightly sexually dimorphic, being slightly larger in males. [15] In other species, such as the humpback unicornfish, the horn is almost completely absent in females. [12]

Species

Naso is divided into two subgenera [11] and 20 species are classified within it: [13]

Subgenus NasoLacepède, 1801
SpeciesCommon nameImage
Naso annulatus

(Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)

whitemargin unicornfish Whitemargin Unicornfish, Nausicaa imported from iNaturalist photo 51203063 (cropped).jpg
Naso brachycentron

(Valenciennes, 1835)

humpback unicornfish Naso brachycentron 295997177 (cropped).jpg
Naso brevirostris

(G. Cuvier, 1829)

spotted unicornfish Naso brevirostris.jpg
Naso caesius

J. E. Randall & Bell, 1992

gray unicornfish Corl0234 (28009711442).jpg
Naso elegans

(Rüppell, 1829)

elegant unicornfish Pez unicornio elegante (Naso elegans), mar Rojo, Egipto, 2023-04-17, DD 78.jpg
Naso fageni

Morrow, 1954

horseface unicornfish
Naso hexacanthus

(Bleeker, 1855)

sleek unicornfish Sleek Unicornfish, Berau, ID-KI, ID imported from iNaturalist photo 459819459.jpg
Naso lituratus

(J. R. Forster, 1801)

orangespine unicornfish Orangespine unicornfish (Naso lituratus).jpg
Naso lopezi

Herre, 1927

elongated unicornfish
Naso maculatus

J. E. Randall & Struhsaker, 1981

spotted unicornfish
Naso mcdadei

J. W. Johnson, 2002

squarenose unicornfish Naso mcdadei.png
Naso reticulatus

J. E. Randall, 2001

reticulated unicornfish Naso reticulatus 57 cm.png
Naso tergus

H. C. Ho, K. N. Shen & C. W. Chang, 2011

Taiwanese unicornfish
Naso tonganus

(Valenciennes, 1835)

bulbnose unicornfish Naso tonganus LyleVail.jpg
Naso tuberosus

Lacépède, 1801

humpnose unicornfish Naso tuberosus Reunion.jpg
Naso unicornis

(Forsskål, 1775)

bluespine unicornfish Bluespine Unicornfish, Kingston, Norfolk Island imported from iNaturalist photo 120509443 (cropped).jpg
Naso vlamingii

(Valenciennes, 1835)

bignose unicornfish Naso vlamingii 261420630 (cropped).jpg
Subgenus AxinurusCuvier 1829
SpeciesCommon nameImage
Naso caeruleacauda J. E. Randall, 1994blue unicornfish Bluetail unicornfish (Naso caeruleacauda).jpg
Naso minor (J. L. B. Smith, 1966)slender unicornfish Naso minor, Romblon, Filipinas.jpg
Naso thynnoides (G. Cuvier, 1829)oneknife unicornfish BozuHG.jpg

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acanthuridae</span> Family of fishes with caudal spines

Acanthuridae are a family of ray-finned fish which includes surgeonfishes, tangs, and unicornfishes. The family includes about 86 extant species of marine fish living in tropical seas, usually around coral reefs. Many of the species are brightly colored and popular in aquaria.

<i>Naso vlamingii</i> Species of fish

Naso vlamingii, the bignose unicornfish, scibbled unicornfish, Vlaming's unicornfish, and zebra unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitemargin unicornfish</span> Species of fish

The whitemargin unicornfish, also known as the ringtailed unicornfish or short-horned unicorn-fish, is a tropical fish found throughout the Indo-Pacific. It can reach a length of 100 cm, making it one of the largest members of the family Acanthuridae.

<i>Naso brevirostris</i> Species of fish

Naso brevirostris, also known as the short-nosed unicornfish, spotted unicornfish, brown unicornfish, lined unicornfish, longnose surgeonfish, palefin unicornfish, paletail unicornfish, shorthorned unicornfish or shortsnouted unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. It occurs in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

<i>Naso brachycentron</i> Species of fish

Naso brachycentron, the humpback unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

<i>Naso lituratus</i> Species of fish

Naso lituratus, the clown unicornfish, orangespined unicornfish, black-finned unicornfish, Pacific orangespined unicornfish, blackfinned unicornfish or stripefaced unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Naso lopezi</i> Species of fish

Naso lopezi, the elongated unicornfish, slender unicornfish or Lopez' unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeon fishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the western Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluespine unicornfish</span> Species of fish

The bluespine unicornfish, also known as the short-nose unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific. It is occasionally found in the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 70 cm in length. It is called kala ('thorn') in Hawaii, dawa in New Caledonia, and ta or tā in Fiji. However the name kala refers to all three species of horned unicornfish found around Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluetail unicornfish</span> Species of fish

The bluetail unicornfish, also known as the blue unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the western central Pacific Ocean.

<i>Naso caesius</i> Species of fish

Naso caesius, the grey unicornfish or silverblotched unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species occurs in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Naso elegans</i> Species of fish

Naso elegans, the elegant unicornfish, the blonde naso tang, Indian orange-spine unicorn, lipstick surgeonfish, lipstick tang, orangespine unicornfish or smoothheaded unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

<i>Naso fageni</i> Species of fish

Naso fageni, the horseface unicornfish or blunt unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Naso maculatus, the scribbled unicornfish or spotted unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the western Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squarenose unicornfish</span> Species of fish

The squarenose unicornfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Naso minor</i> Species of fish

Naso minor, the blackspine unicornfish, slender unicornfish, lesser unicornfish or pony unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reticulate unicornfish</span> Species of fish

The reticulate unicornfishes is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. It is a rare species found on coral reefs in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Naso thynnoides</i> Species of fish

Naso thynnoides, the oneknife unicornfish, oneknife unicorn, thunny unicornfish, singlespine unicornfish, one-spine unicorn, or barred unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific.

<i>Naso tonganus</i> Species of surgeonfish

Naso tonganus, the bulbnose unicornfish, hump-nosed unicornfish, humphead unicornfish, or the humpnose unicorn, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific. It is of value in commercial fisheries.

<i>Naso tuberosus</i> Species of fish

Naso tuberosus, the humpnose unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species occurs in the Indian Ocean but it may be more widespread.

Naso tergus is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species was first formally described in 2011 from off of the coast of Taiwan after several specimens were collected.

References

  1. ↑ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
  2. 1 2 3 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Acanthuridae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  3. ↑ Dayton, C. (2001). "Genetic evolution among selected members of the genus Naso (Nasinae), "unicornfishes" from Guam". Marine Biology. 139 (4): 771–76. Bibcode:2001MarBi.139..771D. doi:10.1007/s002270100628.
  4. ↑ "Fishing at the tip of the spear in Guam". Archived from the original on 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
  5. ↑ "Unicorn Fish the weird but delicious fish". The Arena Media Brands, LLC. 5 November 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes/Tangs)". Reef App encyclopaedia for marine animals. Kasper Hareskov Tygesen. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  7. ↑ Borden, W. C. (1998). "Phylogeny of the unicornfishes (Naso, Acanthuridae) based on soft anatomy". Copeia. 1998 (1): 104–113. doi:10.2307/1447705. JSTOR   1447705.
  8. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Naso". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014). "Family-group names of recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (2): 1–230. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1 . PMID   25543675.
  10. ↑ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  11. 1 2 Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 January 2021). "Order Acanthuriformes (part 2): Families Ephippidae, Leiognathidae, Scatophagidae, Antigoniidae, Siganidae, Caproidae, Luvaridae, Zanclidae and Acanthuridae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 John E. Randall (2022). "Family Acanthuridae". In Phillip C Heemstra; Elaine Heemstra; David A Ebert; Wouter Holleman; John E Randall (eds.). Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean (PDF). Vol. 5. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. pp. 219–244. ISBN   978-1-990951-32-9.
  13. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Naso". FishBase . February 2023 version.
  14. ↑ John E. Randall (1994). "Unicornfishes of the Subgenus Axinurus (Perciformes: Acanthuridae: Naso), with Description of a New Species". Copeia. 1994 (1): 116–124. doi:10.2307/1446677. JSTOR   1446677.
  15. 1 2 DeMartini, Edward E. (July 2016). "Sexual Dimorphisms in the Bluespine Unicornfish, Naso unicornis (Acanthuridae): External Metrics for Movement Ecology and Life History". Copeia. 104 (2): 498–505. doi:10.1643/CE-15-270. ISSN   0045-8511.
  16. ↑ Klanten, Selma O.; Herwerden, Lynne van; Choat, J.Howard; Blair, David (July 2004). "Patterns of lineage diversification in the genus Naso (Acanthuridae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 32 (1): 221–235. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2003.11.008.
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