Prionurus microlepidotus

Last updated

Prionurus microlepidotus
PrionurusMicrolepidotus2RLS.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Prionurus
Species:
P. microlepidotus
Binomial name
Prionurus microlepidotus
Lacépède, 1804

Prionurus microlepidotus, the sixplate sawtail, Australian sawtail or sawtail surgeonfish, 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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Prionurus microlepidotus was first formally described in 1804 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède with its type locality ascertained to be New South Wales, the type having been collected by François Péron. [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 microlepidotus has the specific name, microlepidotus which means “small scaled”, a reference to the very small scales of this fish. [4]

Description

Prionurus microlepidotus has its dorsal fin supported by 8 rays and 21 to 22 soft rays while the anal fin is supported by 3 rays and 20 or 21 soft rays and there are 16 rays in the pectoral fin. The body varies in depth from half the standard length in subadults to over a third of the standard length in larger adults. The larger adults have a small protuberance on the snout just above the mouth. There are six keeled bony plates on each side of the rear of the body and the caudal peduncle and the caudal fin is emarginate. [5] The body is uniformly grey with a slender lateral line the bony plates on the rear of the body are within dusky blotches. It can show a white band at the base of the caudal fin and, when visiting cleaning stations it can change colour to all white. [6] The maximum published total length of this species is 70 cm (28 in). [7]

Distribution and habitat

Prionurus microlepidotus is endemic to the southwestern Pacific and has been recorded only from Australian waters where it ranges from New South Wales in the south to Townsville in Queensland in the north, also around Lord Howe Island. This species is found along rock shores and on coral reefs, although juveniles prefer sheltered habitats such as bays and estuaries. They gather in schools and graze on benthic algae. [1]

Related Research Articles

<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>Acanthurus achilles</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus achilles, the Achilles tang, redtail surgeonfish or redspot surgeonfish, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the Pacific Ocean.

<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 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 tristis</i> Species of fish

Acanthurus tristis, the Indian Ocean mimic surgeonfish, blackcheek surgeonfish or yellowspot surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the eastern Indian Ocean.

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

Acanthurus blochii, the ringtail surgeonfish or dark surgeonfish, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the Indo-Pacific.

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

Acanthurus auranticavus, the ringtail surgeonfish or orange-socket 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.

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

Acanthurus bariene, the bariene surgeonfish, black-spot surgeonfish, or eye-spot 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-Pacific.

<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">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.

<i>Prionurus</i> Genus of fishes

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.

<i>Prionurus biafraensis</i> Species of fish

Prionurus biafraensis, the Biafra doctorfish, 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 Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Prionurus chrysurus</i> Species of fish

Prionurus chrysurus, the Indonesian sawtail or yellowtail 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 western Pacific Ocean in Indonesia.

<i>Prionurus laticlavius</i> Species of fish

Prionurus laticlavius the razor surgeonfish or razor 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 eastern central Pacific Ocean.

References

  1. 1 2 Abesamis, R.; Clements, K.D.; Choat, J.H.; et al. (2012). "Prionurus microlepidotus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T178016A1522202. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T178016A1522202.en . Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Prionurus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  3. 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 16 August 2023.
  5. John E. Randall; Gerald Robert Allen; Roger C. Steene (1998). Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, Revised and Expanded Edition. University of Hawaii Press. p. 433. ISBN   0824818954.
  6. "Prionurus microlepidotus". Reef Life Survey. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  7. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Prionurus microlepidotus" in FishBase . June 2023 version.