| Spicara flexuosum | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Spariformes |
| Family: | Sparidae |
| Genus: | Spicara |
| Species: | S. flexuosum |
| Binomial name | |
| Spicara flexuosum Rafinesque, 1810 | |
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.
Spicara flexuosum was first formally described in 1810 by the French polymath and naturalist Constantine Samuel Rafinesque with its type locality given as Sicily. [1] When he described S. flexuosum Rafinesque classified it in the new monospecific genus Spicara , so this species is the type species of Spicara by monotypy. [2] Some authorities have regarded S. flexuosa as a synonym of Spicara maena but both FishBase [3] and Catalog of Fishes treat it as a valid species. [1] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Spicara in the family Sparidae within the order Spariformes by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World . [4] Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Boopsinae, [5] but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sparidae. [4]
Spicara flexuosum has the genus name Spicara, which 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. The specific name, flexuosum, means "full of bends or curves", an allusion to the wavy yellow horizontal lines along the body of the breeding males. [6]
Spicara flexuosum may be identified by the possession of a protrusible mouth; having 73 or less scales in the lateral line. The length of the head is equal to or greater than the depth of the body. The overall colour is yellowish or grey-brownish with a brownish spot at the axil of the pectoral fins. The colour is variable and changes with season, sex and age. This species has a maximum published total length of 23.2 cm (9.1 in), although 14 cm (5.5 in) is more typical, and a maximum published weight of 120 g (4.2 oz). [3] This species is very similar to S. maena but was found to have distinct mitochondrial DNA from that species. [7]
Spicara flexuosum is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. It is a demersal fish found in schools at depths down to 130 m (430 ft) over sand and rubble areas of the seabed. [3]
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.
Lithognathus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. Species in this genus are given the common name of steenbras. The genus is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean from southwestern Europe to South Africa and into the southwestern Indian Ocean.
The saddled seabream, also called the saddle bream or oblade, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Oblada. This species is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is an important food fish within its range.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pachymetopon grande, the bronze seabream or blue hottentot, is a species of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the southwestern Indian Ocean. It is an important spoecies for recreational fisheries in South Africa and for subsistence fisheries too.
Stenotomus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. The fishes in this genus are found in the western Atlantic Ocean.