Red gurnard

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Red gurnard
Chelidonichthys cuculus - Crazy Kew Fish.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Triglidae
Genus: Chelidonichthys
Subgenus: Aspitrigla
Species:
C. cuculus
Binomial name
Chelidonichthys cuculus
Synonyms [3]
  • Aspitrigla cuculus(Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Chelidonichthys cululus(Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Trigla cuculusLinnaeus, 1758
  • Trigla grunniens Lacépède, 1801
  • Trigla pini Bloch, 1793

The red gurnard (Chelidonichthys cuculus), also known as the East Atlantic red gurnard or soldier, is a benthic species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.

Contents

Taxonomy

The red gurnard was first formally described in 1758 as Trigla cuculus by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae with the type locality given as the Mediterranean Sea. [4] In 1925 the American zoologist Henry Weed Fowler classified this species in the monotypic taxon Aspitrigla, a subgenus of Chelidonichthys , and the red gurnard is the type species of the subgenus. [5] The specific name cuculus is Latin for "cuckoo", a name which can be traced as far back as Aristotle, who claimed that gurnards made cuckoo-like noises when taken from the water. [6]

Description

The red gurnard has a large angular head which does not have a deep occipital groove but has a steep snout, [7] [8] which is elongated forward with a flattened, two lobed rostrum covered in denticles. The first dorsal fin contains 9 or 10 spines, the first of which is serrated to the front and the second spine is not elongated. the second dorsal fin has 17 or 19 soft rays while the anal fin contains between 16 and 18 soft rays. [3] [8] The pectoral fins have 2 or 3 enlarged, separate rays. [7] The scales in the lateral line resemble plates having been lengthened vertically. [8] There are no scales on the breast and the front part of the belly. [7] The colour is bright red on the upper body, pale on the lower body with pink pelvic fins. The anal fin is white at its base while the pectoral and dorsal fins are yellowish. [8] This fish has a maximum published total length of 70 cm (28 in), although a fork length of 27.6 cm (10.9 in) in males and 20.4 cm (8.0 in) in females is more typical. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Red gurnard served at a taverna in Athens, Greece. Red Gurnard (Chelidonichthys cuculus).jpg
Red gurnard served at a taverna in Athens, Greece.

The red gurnard is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from southern Scotland, although it has been recorded infrequently from Norway, south to Mauritania, including the Madeira, the Azores and the Canary Islands. It is found throughout the Mediterranean Sea and in the Black Sea. [1] This is a demersal species which has been recorded from depths between 15 and 400 m (49 and 1,312 ft), although the usual range is 30 and 250 m (98 and 820 ft). [3] It is typically recorded on habitats dominated by sand or gravel, although it has also been found in rocky and muddy habitats. [9]

Biology

The red gurnard was found, in a study of this species in the Adriatic Sea, to feed almost entirely (more than 90%) on malacostracan crustaceans with fishes, molluscs and echinoderms taken in much smaller amounts. [10] Prey is detected using the enlarged, separated rays of the pectoral fins. This species produces sounds, being noted to croak like a frog. [7] It sometimes aggregates in schools, [3] and it is known to spawn in the summer. [8] Sexual maturity is attained at around 26.6 cm (10.5 in) and the maximum reported age is 21 years. [3]

Fisheries

The red gurnard is not commercially exploited in its Atlantic range, although, it may be caught and eaten as bycatch.[ citation needed ] In England, red gurnard is fished off the Cornwall coast and is of growing though still minor economic interest. [11] In the Mediterranean, it is of minor commercial interest. Red gurnards are regularly present in fish markets in Spain, Morocco, Italy, Cyprus and Egypt, and sometimes in France, England, Greece, Ireland and Turkey, although it is rarely marketed in Tunisia. The catch is sold fresh, chilled and frozen. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triglidae</span> Family of fishes

Triglidae, commonly known as gurnards or sea robins, are a family of bottom-feeding scorpaeniform ray-finned fish. The gurnards are distributed in temperate and tropical seas worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tub gurnard</span> Species of fish

The tub gurnard, also known as the sapphirine gurnard, tube-fish, tubfish or yellow gurnard, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is exploited by commercial fisheries as a food fish.

<i>Bellator militaris</i> Species of fish

Bellator militaris, the horned sea robin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the sea robins. This fish is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Chelidonichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Chelidonichthys, the smallscaled gurnards, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. These gurnards are found in the Eastern Atlantic, Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spiny red gurnard</span> Species of fish

The spiny red gurnard is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This species is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean where they occur at depths of from 25 to 615 metres. This species grows to a length of 40 centimetres (16 in) TL. This species is of commercial importance as a food fish.

<i>Bellator egretta</i> Species of fish

Bellator egretta, the streamer searobin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the sea robins. This fish is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey gurnard</span> Species of fish

The grey gurnard is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. It is caught as a food fish and is known for producing sounds. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Eutrigla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piper gurnard</span> Species of fish

The piper gurnard, also known as the piper or the lyre gurnard, is a species of marine, demersal ray-finned fish from the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Trigla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streaked gurnard</span> Species of fish

The streaked gurnard, also known as the African gurnard or rock gurnard, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and western Indian Ocean. This species is of commercial importance as a food fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape gurnard</span> Species of fish

The Cape gurnard is a species of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This species is found in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and the southwestern Indian Ocean. This species is of commercial importance as a food fish.

The longfin gurnard, the long-finned gurnard or shining gurnard, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. This species is of commercial importance as a food fish.

The lesser gurnard, or Quekket's gurnard, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This species is found in the southwestern Indian Ocean and marginally in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean. This species is of commercial importance as a food fish.

Pterygotrigla multiocellata, the antrorse spined gurnard, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the Indo-Pacific region where it has been recorded from Japan, Saipan, and the eastern and western tropical waters off Australia.

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

Triglinae is a subfamily of demersal, marine ray-finned fishes, part of the family Triglidae, the gurnards and searobins. These gurnards are found in all the tropical and temperate oceans of the world except for the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Pterygotrigla polyommata</i> Species of fish

Pterygotrigla polyommata, the latchet, butterfly gurnard, flying gurnard, lachet gurnard, pastry, sharpbeak gurnard, spiny gurnard or spinybeak gurnard, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It is found in the southeastern Indian and southwestern Pacific Oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackspotted gurnard</span> Species of fish

The blackspotted gurnard, also known as the half-spotted gurnard, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large-scaled gurnard</span> Species of fish

The large-scaled gurnard is a species of marine, demersal ray-finned fish from the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

<i>Lepidotrigla papilio</i> Species of fish

Lepidotrigla papilio, the spiny gurnard, butterfly gurnard, Eastern spiny gurnard or Southern spiny gurnard. is a species of demersal marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This species is endemic to Australia.

<i>Lepidotrigla spiloptera</i> Species of fish

Lepidotrigla spiloptera, the spotwing gurnard, spotfin gurnard or red-fringed gurnard, is a species of marine, demersal ray-finned fish from the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

<i>Peristedion cataphractum</i> Species of marine ray-finned fish

Peristedion cataphractum, the African armoured gurnard, the mailed gurnard or armed gurnard, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Peristediidae, the armoured gurnards or armored sea robins. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Nunoo, F.; Russell, B.; Bannermann, P. & Poss, S. (2015). "Chelidonichthys cuculus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T198750A15622838. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T198750A15622838.en . Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  2. ↑ Bailly, Nicolas (2013). "Chelidonichthys cuculus (Linnaeus, 1758)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 2013-12-23.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Chelidonichthys cuculus". FishBase . February 2022 version.
  4. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Chelidonichthys". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  5. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Triglinae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  6. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (10 June 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 12): Suborder Triglioidei: Families Triglidae and Peristediidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Barnes, M.K.S. (2008). Tyler-Walters H.; Hiscock K (eds.). "Chelidonichthys cuculus Red gurnard". Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 J-C Hureau (ed.). "Red gurnard (Aspitrigla cuculus)". Fishes of the NE Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  9. ↑ Alwyne Wheeler (1992). The Pocket Guide to Salt Water Fishes of Britain and Europe (1997 ed.). Parkgate Books. p. 83. ISBN   1855853647.
  10. ↑ Vallisneri, M.; Tommasini, Stefano; Stagioni, Marco; et al. (2014). "Distribution and some biological parameters of the red gurnard, Chelidonichthys cuculus (Actinopterygii, Scorpaeniformes, Triglidae) in the north-central Adriatic Sea". Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria. 44: 173–180. doi: 10.3750/AIP2014.44.3.01 .
  11. ↑ "Red Gurnard, Cornwall Good Seafood Guide". www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-11-12. In 2021 a total of 36.7 tonnes of red gurnard were landed to Cornish ports with a value of £54k (MMO data)

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