| Smooth horsefish | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Congiopodidae |
| Genus: | Congiopodus |
| Species: | C. torvus |
| Binomial name | |
| Congiopodus torvus (Gronow, 1772) | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
The smooth horsefish (Congiopodus torvus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Congiopodidae, the horsefishes or pigfishes. It is found in the waters off Southern Africa. [3]
The smooth horsefish was first formally described as Blennius torvus in 1772 by the Dutch zoologist Laurens Theodoor Gronow with the type locality given, probably in error, as the Indian Ocean. [2] In 1811 the English naturalist George Perry described a new species, Congiopodus percatus which he classified in a new monotypic genus, Congiopodus . This taxon was subsequently considered to be a junior synonym of Gronow's Blennius torvus, so this species is the type species of its genus as C. percatus. [2] [4] The specific name torvus means "staring eyes", an allusion Gronow did not expand upon but which may refer to the placement of the eyes on the each side at the top of the head. [5]
The smooth horsefish is a compressed fish with a long continuous dorsal fin that is very high over the head and which contains 20 or 21 spines and between 13 and 15 soft rays. The anal fin lacks any pines and has 7 or 8 soft rays. [6] There is a projecting snout with a small, terminal mouth and a single nostril at each side. [7] The adults are smooth skinned but the skin of juveniles is covered with small rough bumps. [6] This species attains a maximum published total length of 76 cm (30 in) but a total length of 30 cm (12 in) is more typical. [3] The juveniles are pale brown in colour broken with irregular darker brown markings, while the adults are plain dark brown. [6]
The smooth horsefish is endemic to the temperate waters of southern Africa where it is found from Namibia in the Atlantic Ocean around the Cape of Good Hope to the coast of KwaZulu-Natal in the Indian Ocean. [1] This is a demersal fish which lives at depths of 10 to 146 m (33 to 479 ft) on rocky reefs and sandy seabeds. [8]
The smooth horsefish is more active during the night than in the day. It feeds on benthic invertebrates such as crustaceans, molluscs, sea urchins, brittle stars and worms. [8] This species is reputed to be rather docile and approachable, even, occasionally, being handled by divers when they have been heard to give off a quiet "tok-tok-tok". [6]
The smooth horsefish has palatable flesh but is not subjected to commercial fisheries and any such fishery would require more information to be gained on the species biology and population before it could be considered. [6] It is taken as bycatch by trawlers and there is evidence that even this has caused signs of overfishing in Namibia. [1]
Zoarces is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. It is the only genus in the subfamily Zoarcinae. These eelpouts are found in the northern Atlantic and northern Pacific Oceans.
The Alert pigfish is a species of marine ray finned fish, a pigfish belonging to the family Congiopodidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Alertichthys. This species is endemic to the waters around New Zealand.
Congiopodidae, commonly known as pigfishes, horsefishes and racehorses, is a family of ray-finned fish classified with in the order Perciformes. These fishes are native to the Southern Hemisphere.
The southern pigfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Congiopodidae, the horsefishes or pigfishes. It is found in the waters off southern Australia and New Zealand.
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Sthenopus is a monotypic genus of marine ray-finned fish, a velvetfish belonging to the family Aploactinidae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean where it is known from China and Thailand. The only known member of this genus is Sthenopus mollis.
Congiopodus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Congiopodidae, the pigfishes or horsefishes. These fishes are found in the southern Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Zanclorhynchus spinifer, also known as the Antarctic horsefish or spiny horsefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Congiopodidae, the horsefishes or pigfishes. This fish is found in the Southern Ocean where it occurs at depths of from 5 to 400 metres. This species grows to a length of 40 centimetres (16 in) TL and is of minor importance to the commercial fishery industry.
Zanclorhynchus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Congiopodidae, the pigfishes or horsefishes. These fishes are found in the Southern Ocean.
Easchmeyer nexus is a species of marine ray-finned fish; it is the only species in the monotypic genus Eschmeyer and monogeneric family Eschmeyeridae. This fish is only known from the Pacific Ocean, near Fiji.
The pitted stonefish, also known as the Pacific monkey-fish, is a species of venomous ray-finned fish, a stonefish be longing to the subfamily Synanceiinae of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Erosa and is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
The stargazing stonefish is a species of stonefish native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean where it is found on muddy bottoms in estuaries. This venomous species is also a minor component of local commercial fisheries. This species grows to a length of 8 centimetres (3.1 in) SL. This species is the only known member of the genus Trachicephalus.
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.
Neocentropogon is a poorly known genus of marine ray-finned fishes, waspfishes belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. The fishes in this genus are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
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.
Pomadasys argenteus, the silver grunt, silver javelin, grunter bream, small-spotted grunter-bream, small-spotted javelin fish, trumpeter or white-finned javelin fish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunt from the family Haemulidae. This species has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution. It is the type species of the genus Pomadasys.
The African forktail snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Stichaeus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks or shannies. These fishes are mainly found in the North Pacific Ocean with one species in the Arctic and western North Atlantic Oceans.
