Spotted scat | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Acanthuriformes |
Family: | Scatophagidae |
Genus: | Scatophagus |
Species: | S. argus |
Binomial name | |
Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Scatophagus argus, the spotted scat, butterfish, mia mia, spotted butterfish or tiger scat, is a species of fish in the scat family Scatophagidae. It occurs in two basic color morphs which are called green scat and ruby or red scat. This fish is generally distributed around the Indo-Pacific region, to Japan, New Guinea, and southeastern Australia. They live in coastal muddy areas, including estuaries, mangroves, harbours, and the lower courses of rivers. They are popular aquarium fish.
Scatophagus argus was first formally described in 1766 as Chaetodon argus by Carl Linnaeus with the type locality given as India. [3] In 1831 Georges Cuvier described the genus Scatophagus and Linnaeus's C. argus was designated as its type species. [4] The specific name argus refers to the mythical hundred-eyed guardian of Io, Argus, who following his death had his eyes became the feathers of a peacock, a reference to the brown to reddish-brown spots on the body of this fish. [5]
Scatophagus argus has a body which is rectangular and strongly compressed with the head having a steep dorsal profile. It has a moderately large eye which has a diameter noticeably smaller than the length of the rounded, snout. They have a small, horizontal mouth which is not protractile. There are a number of rows of small bristle-like teeth in the jaws. The dorsal fin has 10–11 spines and 16–18 soft rays, while the anal fin has 4 spines and 13–15 soft rays. [2] Spines and rays of the dorsal fin are separated by a deep notch and the first spine in the dorsal fin lies flat. The rear margins of soft parts of the dorsal and anal fins is roughly vertical. The caudal fin is rounded in juveniles and truncate to weakly emarginate adults. [6] Small ctenoid scales cover the body. The body is greenish-brown to silvery with many brown to red-brown spots. Juveniles are a greenish-brown with either a few large, dark, rounded blotches, or five or six dark, vertical bars. [7] This species attains a maximum total length of 38 cm (15 in). [2]
Scatophagus argus has a wide Indo-Pacific range. It is found from the Persian Gulf, along the south Asian coast into the western Pacific. It occurs as far north as Japan south to New South Wales, New Caledonia, and Fiji. It has also been recorded from French Polynesia. [1] A small population was probably established in the Mediterranean Sea around Malta after a first report in 2007 (probably as a result of released aquarium fishes). [8] [9] This is a species of sheltered, shallow coastal waters such as estuaries, harbours, mangrove pools, and the lower parts of fresh water streams, particularly where there are high mineral concentrations. The very small juveniles float within the surface film of the water. [1]
Scatophagus argus is omnivorous and an indiscriminate eater. In 1992, biologists Barry and Fast reported adult scat from the Philippines were primarily herbivorous, while the juveniles preferred zooplankton. [7] Although scat were named for their purported habit of feeding on offal, the name of the genus Scatophagus means "dung eater". [5] it may be a misnomer as this behaviour has not been confirmed in diet studies. [7] Since spotted scats can live in relatively enclosed waterbodies, as well as quite far upstream in freshwater rivers, they can adapt to varying salinities. As fry, they live in freshwater environments, but as they mature, they move to saltwater environments. They do not live in temperate waters, as they require at least a little warmth between 21 and 28 °C (70 and 82 °F) [10] This species forms schools. [1]
The females attain sexual maturity at around 7–9 months of age and when the weigh 150 g (5.3 oz), whereas the males are sexually mature at a smaller size. In the Philippines, spawning is brought on by the monsoon rains that start in June and July and the increased rainfall brings cooler temperatures, increased river outflows and lower salinities. The eggs are about 0.7 mm (0.028 in) in diameter, they are transparent and have a spherical shape. The larvae take around 20 hours to hatch from fertilisation and on hatching are 1.8 mm (0.071 in) in length. [7] The juveniles pass through a pelagic tholichthys larval stage, like butterflyfishes. [6]
Scatophagus argus is fished for and eaten by some people from its original environment, and can sting with small spikes in its anterior parts, inflicting a venom that causes great pain and dizziness. Treatment of the wound is often done by soaking the site of invenomation in hot water. [11] It also appears in the aquarium trade. [1]
Scatophagus argus harbors parasites, like most fish. The acanthocephalan worm Pararhadinorhynchus magnus has been described from the intestine of this fish in waters off Vietnam. [12]
The foxface rabbitfish, also known as the foxface, black-face rabbit fish, badger fish or the common foxface is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It can be found in the aquarium trade.
Scatophagidae, the scats are a small family of ray-finned fishes in the order Perciformes. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region but one species has been introduced elsewhere.
The blotched foxface, also called the blackblotch foxface or one-spot foxface, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found at reefs and lagoons in the central Indo-Pacific. Except for the black spot on the rear upper body, it resembles the closely related foxface rabbitfish.
Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides, the harlequin sweetlips, clown sweetlips, spotted sweetlips or many-spotted sweetlips, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sweetlips belonging to the subfamily Plectorhinchinae, one of two subfamilies in the family Haemulidae, the grunts. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can be found in the aquarium trade.
Zebrasoma scopas, the brown tang, twotone tang, scopas tang or brush-tail tang, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. The brown tang is found throughout Oceania and is a herbivorous fish, feeding predominantly on filamentous algae. It is a highly popular fish in the aquarium trade.
Zebrasoma xanthurum, the purple tang or yellowtail tang, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is endemic to the north western Indian Ocean.
The bicolored foxface, also known as the Uspi rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found at coral reefs in Fiji in the Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.
The orange-spotted spinefoot, also known as the deepbody spinefoot, gold-saddle rabbitfish, golden rabbitfish, golden-spotted spinefoot, goldlined spinefoot or yellowblotch spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.
The masked spinefoot, also known as the masked rabbitfish, bluelined rabbitfish, blue-lined spinefoot, decorated rabbitfish or maiden spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It occurs in shallow, coral-rich areas of clear lagoons and seaward reefs of the Indo-West Pacific region.
The streaked spinefoot, also known as the Java rabbitfish, blue-spotted spinefoot, blue-spotted trevally, Java spinefoot or white-spotted rabbit-fish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found throughout most of the Indo-Pacific region.
The dusky spinefoot, also known as the squaretail rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is native to the western Indian Ocean which has spread to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. Its fin spines contain venom. It is regarded as a food fish.
Scatophagus is a genus of ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Scatophagidae. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region. Species in this genus are referred as spotted scats.
The spotbanded scat,(Selenotoca multifasciata), also known as the striped scat, banded scat, barred scat, butterfish, John Dory, Johnny Dory, old maid, Southern butter-fish or striped butterfish, is a species of ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Scatophagidae, the scats. They are found in the eastern Indian Ocean and southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Scatophagus tetracanthus, the scatty or African scat is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scatophagidae, the scats. It is found in eastern Africa and Madagascar and in New Guinea and northern Australia.
The black foxface is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is endemic to Tonga in the western Pacific Ocean.
The peppered spinefoot, also known as the finespotted rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It occurs in the Indo-West Pacific region.
Siganus punctatus the goldspotted spinefoot, goldspotted rabbitfish, punctuated spinefoot, spotted rabbitfish, spotted spinefoot or yellow-spotted spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It occurs in the Indo-West Pacific region.
Siganus randalli, the variegated spinefoot or Randall's rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Siganus spinus, the little spinefoot, scribbled rabbitfish, blunt-nosed spinefoot, spiny rabbitfish, or spiny spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Siganus stellatus, the brown-spotted spinefoot, brown-spotted rabbitfish, honeycomb rabbitfish, starspotted spinefoot, starspotted rabbitfish or stellate rabbitfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.