Naso maculatus

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Naso maculatus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Naso
Subgenus: Naso
Species:
N. maculatus
Binomial name
Naso maculatus

Naso maculatus, the scribbled unicornfish or spotted unicornfish (leading to confusion with Naso brevirostris ), 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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Naso maculatus was first formally described in 1981 by the American ichthyologists John Ernest Randall and Paul J. Struhsaker with its type locality given as the northern shore off Haliewa on Oahu in Hawaii. [2] This species is classified within the nominate subgenus of the genus Naso . [3] The genus Naso is the only genus in the subfamily Nasinae in the family Acanthuridae. [4]

Etymology

Naso maculatus has the specific name maculatus, which means "spotted" and is a reference to the many dark spots on both adults and juvenile fish. [3]

Description

Naso maculatus is a slender bodied unicornfish which has no protuberance growing from the head at any size. [5] The dorsal fin is supported by 6 or 7 spines and between 26 and 28 soft rays while the anal fin has 2 spines and 26 to 28 soft rays supporting it. There are two small bony plates on the caudal peduncle each with a roughly semi-circular keel which projects outwards. The caudal fin is emarginate and there are no filaments growing from the tips of the fin lobes. [6] The overall colour is bluish grey, paler on the lower body with the upper three-quarters of the body covered with a numerous dark spots and lines, with similar but less distinct markings on the head. The lateral line is marked out by a dark line that breaks into spots towards the caudal peduncle. [5] This species reaches a maximum published total length of 45 cm (18 in). [6]

Distribution and habitat

Naso maculatus has an anti-tropical distribution in the Western Pacific Ocean. It is found in the Wakayama Prefecture in Japan and the Hawaiian Islands in the north. The southern distribution includes New Caledonia and islands off Australia. [1] In Australia it has been recorded from the Capricorn Group off southern Queensland, Lord Howe Island and Middleton Reef. [5] This species is found in deep water at depths between 20 and 220 m (66 and 722 ft) [1] on the seaward slopes of reefs. [6]

Related Research Articles

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

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. Unicorn fish are popular with spearfishermen and may be cooked by grilling them whole. Unicornfish primarily live around coral reefs and eat mostly algae. It is very popular in Maldives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowspotted sawtail</span> Species of fish

The yellowspotted sawtail, or spotted sawtail, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

<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.

<i>Acanthurus maculiceps</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus maculiceps, the white-freckled surgeonfish, yellow-freckled surgeonfish, pale-lined surgeonfish,spotted-faced surgeonfish or earbar surgeonfish, 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-West Pacific region.

<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.

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

The sleek unicornfish, also known as the blue-tail unicorn, Thorpe's unicornfish, blacktongue unicornfish or ʻopelu kala, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is of value in commercial fisheries and as a gamefish, and is also seen in aquaria.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Russell, B.; Abesamis, R.; Clements, K.D.; et al. (2012). "Naso maculatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T178020A1523627. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T178020A1523627.en . Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Naso". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  3. 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 23 July 2023.
  4. 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.
  5. 1 2 3 Bray, D.J. (2018). "Naso maculatus". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Naso maculatus" in FishBase . February 2023 version.