Prionurus

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Prionurus
Prionurus laticlavius.jpg
Prionurus laticlavius (razor surgeonfish)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Subfamily: Acanthurinae
Tribe: Prionurini
J. L. B. Smith, 1966
Genus: Prionurus
Lacépède, 1804
Type species
Prionurus microlepidotus
Lacépède, 1804 [1]
Species

7, see text

Synonyms [1]

Prionurus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs, although some of the species in this genus are called sawtails or doctorfish. The species in this genus are found in the Pacific Ocean with one species, P. biafraensis, found in the Atlantic Ocean.

Contents

Taxonomy

Prionurus was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1804 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède when he described Prionurus microlepidotus. [1] Lacépède did not give a type locality but the type was collected by François Péron off New South Wales. [2] The genus Prionurus is the only genus in the tribe Prionurini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Acanthurinae which is one of two subfamiles in the family Acanthuridae. [3]

Etymology

Prionurus means "sawtail" a reference to the 3 to 7 immobile keeled bony plates on each side of the caudal peduncle. [4]

Species

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

Characteristics

Prionurus species have oval, compressed bodies with a steep angle on the head above the snout. The small mouth is protrusible and is positioned low on the head. The teeth are set closely together and are moderately large, flattened and have serrated edges. They have 8 or 9 spines in the dorsal fin and 3 spines in the anal fin. The caudal peduncle has between 3 and 7 bony plates with sharp keels on each side. [6] The spined keels in the caudal peduncle are immobile in this genus compared to mobile ones in other surgeonfishes. [3] These fishes vary in their maximum published total lengths from 20 cm (7.9 in) in P. biafrensis to 70 cm (28 in) in P. microlepidotus. [5]

Distribution

Prionurus have a predominantly Pacific range with six of the seven species being found in the Pacific Ocean, [5] two of these, P. laticlavus and P. punctatus being endemic to the eastern Pacific [6] and one, P. biafrensis, being endemic to the Eastern Atlantic. [5]

Related Research Articles

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

Acanthuridae are the family of 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moorish idol</span> Species of fish

The Moorish idol is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zanclidae. It is the only member of the monospecific genus Zanclus and the only extant species within the Zanclidae. This species is found on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region.

<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.

<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.

<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">Sqaurenose 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acanthurinae</span> Subfamily of fishes

Acanthurinae is a subfamily of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Acanthuridae, found in the Indo-Pacific and the tropical Atlantic. These fishes commonly have the English names surgeonfishes or tangs.

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. 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 1 August 2023.
  2. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Prionurus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  3. 1 2 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.
  4. ↑ 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 2 August 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2023). Species of Prionurus in FishBase . June 2023 version.
  6. 1 2 "Genus: Prionurus, Surgeonfishes, Sawtails". Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute . Retrieved 2 August 2023.
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