| Spicara | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Spicara flexuosa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Spariformes |
| Family: | Sparidae |
| Genus: | Spicara Rafinesque, 1810 |
| Type species | |
| Spicara flexuosa Rafinesque, 1810 | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
Spicara is a genus of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. These fishes are found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The species in the genus are known as picarels.
Spicara was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1810 by the French naturalist and polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque when he described Spicara flexuosa as a new species. [1] Rafinesque gave the type locality of S. flexuosa as Sicily. [2] The genera Spicara and Centracanthus were formerly classified within the family Centracanthidae but phylogenetic analyses recovered the family Sparidae as paraphyletic if Spicara was not included within it. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the picarels in the family Sparidae within the order Spariformes by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World . [3] Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Boopsinae, [4] but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sparidae. [3]
Spicara is a vernacular name for picarels, particularly S. flexuosa in Italy. This is presumed to derive from spica, “a spike”, or spicare, meaning “in the form of or furnished with a spike”, Rafinesque did not explain why he chose this name. [5]
There are currently eight recognized species in this genus: [6]
Spicara picarels have oblong bodies which are deeper than the length of the head. They have a continuous dorsal fin with the bases of the soft rayed parts of both the dorsal and the anal fin are enclosed in a scaly sheath. [9] The largest species in the genus is S. axillaris with a maximum published total length of 38 cm (15 in) while with a maximum publsihed total length of 20 cm (7.9 in)S. nigricauda is the smallest species. [6]
Spicara picarels are found mainly in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the western Indian Ocean. [6] There is one species S. martinicum which is known only from its holotype collected off the island of Martinique in the Caribbean Sea. [10]
Sparidae is a family of ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Spariformes, the sea breams and porgies, although they were traditionally classified in the order Perciformes. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters around the world and are demersal carnivores.
Calamus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. Most of the species in this genus are found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, with 2 species occurring in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Pagellus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. These fishes are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the western Indian Ocean.
The salema porgy also known as the dreamfish, salema, cow bream, karanteen, salpa, saupe, strepie or goldline, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Sarpa. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and southwestern Indian Ocean. This species has been known to cause ichthyoallyeinotoxism when eaten.
The red steenbras is a species of fish in the family Sparidae and the only known member of the monospecific genus Petrus. This species is endemic to South Africa. The species' population has been depleted by overfishing in African waters and it has been classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Diplodus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. These fishes are found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the western Indian Ocean.
Centracanthus cirrus, the curled picarel, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. This fish is found in the temperate Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It is the only extant species in the genus Centracanthus. This species is of minor importance to commercial fisheries.
Centracanthus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. There is a single extant species in this genus, as well as an extinct species classified within the genus. The extant species is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea.
Mendosoma is a genus of marine ray finned fish belonging to the family Latridae, the trumpeters.
Spicara maena, the blotched picarel, is a species of ray-finned fish native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. The male grows to a maximum length of about 25 cm (10 in), and the female reaches 21 cm (8 in). This fish is fished commercially in some areas.
Spicara smaris, one of the picarels, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It grows to a maximum length of about 20 cm (8 in); females are usually smaller than males.
Spicara flexuosum, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea.
Rhabdosargus is a genus of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. These fishes are found in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and throughout the Indo-West Pacific, although mainly in the western Indian Ocean.
Dentex is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. The fishes in this genus are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
Cheimerius is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. The only species in the genus is Cheimerius nufar, the santer seabream, santer or soldier, of the Indian Ocean.
Sparodon, commonly known as the white musselcracker, musselcracker seabream, mussel cracker seabream, brusher, or cracker. is a monotypic genus of fish in the family Sparidae. The type and only known species, Sparodon durbanensis, was first described and named by François Louis Nompar de Caumont de Laporte, comte de Castelnau, in 1861.
Diplodus annularis, the annular seabream is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the family which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean.
Spondyliosoma is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. The genus contains two species, one, the black seabream, from the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the other, the steentjie seabream, from the western Indian Ocean.
Spicara axillare, the windtoy, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the Western Indian Ocean and is endemic to South Africa.
Pachymetopon is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. The species in this genus are endemic to Southern Africa.