Parapterois

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Parapterois
SetoMK.jpg
Parapterois heterura, blackfoot firefish
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Tribe: Pteroini
Genus: Parapterois
Bleeker, 1876 [1]
Type species
Pterois heterura
Bleeker, 1856 [1]
Synonyms [1]

Parapterois is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. These fish originate from marine environments in the Indian Ocean or near it. The venomous Parapterois heterura is occasionally seen as an aquarium fish.

Contents

Taxonomy

Parapterois was described as a genus in 1876 by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker, Bleeker designated Pterois heterurus, which he had described from Ambon Island in 1856, as the type species of the new genus. [1] [2] This genus is classified within the tribe Pteroini of the subfamily Scorpaeninae within the family Scorpaenidae. [3] The genus name is a compound of para meaning "near" and Pterois , the genus Bleeker originally placed P. heterura in. [4]

Species

There are currently two recognized species in this genus: [5]

ImageScientific nameDistribution
SetoMKf.jpg Parapterois heterura (Bleeker, 1856) (Blackfoot firefish)southeastern coast of Africa as well as off Japan and in Indonesia
Parapterois macrura.jpg Parapterois macrura (Alcock, 1896)west coast of India

A third species, Parapterois nigripinnis (Gilchrist, 1904) of the southwestern Indian Ocean, is recognised as valid by the Catalog of Fishes [2] but FishBase treats it as a synonym of P. heterura. [6]

Anatomy and appearance

Parapterois heterura resting on the substrate SetoMKf.jpg
Parapterois heterura resting on the substrate

Parapterois bodies are red and white, and their pectoral fins are expanded. These fish are venomous. However, most specimens are much smaller; larger adults of both species are about 11 centimetres (4 in) in length. [7]

A number of differences set this genus apart from Pterois , in which P. heterura was first described to. Parapterois have more (18–21) pectoral fin rays than Pterois (12–17), and, in the former, these rays may be branched, while they are never branched in Pterois. Parapterois have two anal fin spines, while Pterois have three. Also, as a more obvious trait, the caudal fin of these fish are truncated with longer upper and lower caudal fin rays, while the caudal fin in Pterois is rounded. [7]

Distribution and habitat

Parapterois heterura showing the inner surface of its pectoral fins. SetoMKhire.jpg
Parapterois heterura showing the inner surface of its pectoral fins.

Parapterois are native to the Indian Ocean and the West Pacific Ocean.

In the aquarium

Despite the popularity of other lionfish, Parapterois species are only rarely found in the aquarium trade. [8] P. heterura can be found on certain online marine aquarium fish stores, but is not common.

Related Research Articles

Clearfin lionfish Species of fish

The clearfin lionfish, also called the tailbar lionfish, radiata lionfish, fireworks fish or radial firefish, is a carnivorous, ray-finned fish with venomous spines belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. This species lives in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. This is the only lionfish species which has spines without any markings. It can also be recognized by the pair of horizontal white stripes on its caudal peduncle.

<i>Scorpaena</i> Genus of fishes

Scorpaena is a widespread genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes.

<i>Dendrochirus</i> Genus of fishes

Dendrochirus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. They are mostly known as turkeyfishes or pygmy lionfishes. They are native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are also popular aquarium fish.

<i>Brachypterois</i> Genus

Brachypterois is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. They are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Rhinopias</i> Genus of fishes

Rhinopias is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. The species in this genus are found in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

<i>Pteroidichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Pteroidichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. The scorpionfishes in this genus are distributed in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Ebosia</i> Genus of fishes

Ebosia is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. They are known as falcate lionfishes. They are native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Parapterois heterura</i> Species of fish

Parapterois heterura, the blackfoot firefish, blackfoot firefish, blue-fin lionfish, black-Foot lionfish or gurnard lionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is widely distributed on the southeastern coast of Africa as well as off Japan and in Indonesia where it is usually found in sheltered coastal bays with a soft bottom, such as fine sand or mud. It is found in depths ranging from 40 to 300 metres. This species is a sedentary fish and may even bury itself within the substrate. P. heterura flashes its brightly colored pectoral fins to startle predators and escape, but it may also use these fins to corner prey. This behavior has been demonstrated in other lionfish. This species can be found in the aquarium trade.

<i>Pterois antennata</i> Species of fish

Pterois antennata, the spotfin lionfish, banded lionfish, broadbarred lionfish, broadbarred firefish, raggedfinned firefish, raggedfinned scorpionfish or roughscaled lionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the tropical Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

<i>Pterois mombasae</i> Species of fish

Pterois mombasae, the African lionfish, deepwater firefish or frillfin turkeyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the tropical Indian Ocean, typically in soft-bottomed areas of the ocean, often in conjunction with invertebrate growth. It grows to a maximum size of 20 cm, and is of moderate commercial value.

<i>Dendrochirus brachypterus</i> Species of fish

Dendrochirus brachypterus, the dwarf lionfish, short-finned turkeyfish, shortspine rockcod or shortspine scorpionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the Indo-Pacific. It is sometimes found in the aquarium trade.

The Andover lionfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.

Marbled stingfish Genus of fishes

The marbled spinefish, also known as the yellow waspfish, is a species of ray-finned fish, a waspfish belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Cottapistus. This species is found in the Indo-West Pacific.

Pterois brevipectoralis is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. This species is found in the Western Indian Ocean at a depth of 70 to 80 m.

<i>Minous monodactylus</i> Species of fish

Minous monodactylus, the grey stingfish or grey goblinfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fishes, it is the only genus in the tribe Minoini, one of the three tribes which are classified within the subfamily Synanceiinae within the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. This species found in the Indo-Pacific and is venomous to humans.

Luna lionfish Species of fish

The Luna lionfish, the dragon's beard fish or Japanese lionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Scorpaenodes guamensis</i> Species of fish

Scorpaenodes guamensis, the Guam scorpionfish or common scorpionfish, is a species of venomous, marine, ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

Humpbacked scorpionfish Species of fish

The humpbacked scorpionfish is a species of venomous marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. This species is found in the western Indian Ocean.

<i>Pterois cincta</i>

Pterois cincta, the Red Sea lionfish or Red Sea clearfin lionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the Red Sea.

Pterois paucispinula is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and lionfishes. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Scorpaenidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Parapterois". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  3. J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 468–475. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6.
  4. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (2 October 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 9): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Family Scorpaenidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  5. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). Species of Parapterois in FishBase . December 2012 version.
  6. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2022). "Parapterois heterura" in FishBase . February 2022 version.
  7. 1 2 Motomura, Hiroyuki (2004). "Morphological Comparison of a Poorly Known Scorpionfish, Parapterois macrura, with a Related Species, P. heterura (Scorpaenidae: Pteroinae)" (PDF). Zoological Studies. 43: 1–7.
  8. Fenner, Bob. "The Scorpionfishes We Call Lions, Family Scorpaenidae, subfamily Pteroinae" . Retrieved 2007-04-09.

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