Stephanolepis diaspros

Last updated

Stephanolepis diaspros
Pez ballesta reticulada (Stephanolepis diaspros), parque nacional Ras Muhammad, Egipto, 2022-03-27, DD 186.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Monacanthidae
Genus: Stephanolepis
Species:
S. diaspros
Binomial name
Stephanolepis diaspros
Synonyms [3]
  • Stephanolepis ocheticusFraser-Brunner, 1940
  • Stephanolepis weberiFowler & Steinitz, 1956

Stephanolepis diaspros, commonly known as the reticulated filefish or the reticulated leatherjacket, is a species of bony fish, a ray-finned fish in the family Monacanthidae. Its natural range is the western Indian Ocean but it is also one of the species which has colonised the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal by Lessepsian migration from the Red Sea.

Contents

Description

Stephanolepis diaspros has a deep laterally compressed body, becoming rounded in profile ventrally. The first dorsal fin has a single strong spine with barbs on the posterior edge, which originates immediately above the posterior margin of the orbit. The second dorsal fin lies directly above and parallel to the anal fin, the second ray of the second dorsal fin is very long and filamentous, especially in males. There is no pelvic fin, just a simple flap of skin. It has a pointed snout with a small terminal mouth which contains incisor like teeth. There is a slit like gill opening and sits above the origin of the pelvic fin, Its body is covered in rough skin, rough like that of a shark, in which there are tiny scales each with a fragile spinule. On the male the caudal peduncle has several rows of horny patches. The colour of the body is brownish green or greyish green with a complex pattern of spots, dark horizontal lines and sinuous lines. There are two dark bands on the convex caudal fin, separated by a pale band while the dorsal and anal fins are yellow to orange in colour. S. diapros grow s to a maximum length of 25 cm. [4] [5]

Distribution

Stephanolepis diaspros occurs in the western Indian Ocean from the Red Sea south to the Horn of Africa , along the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula to the Persian Gulf. [6] [2] [7] First recorded in the Mediterranean in 1927 off Palestine, it is now very common in the entire eastern Mediterranean basin and is expanding into the Adriatic. [4] [8]

Biology

Stephanolepis diaspros is found in coastal waters with a rocky substrate, usually with vegetation, [2] such as algal forests or seagrass meadows. [9] It lives in small groups and feeds on small invertebrates by plucking them from rocks. [4] It has been recorded from coastal lagoons and juveniles feed in open water over sandy and muddy sea beds. [9] In Tunisian waters the breeding season extends from July to December [9] and the fish first reach sexual maturity on reaching lengths of 9.5 cm for males and 8.5 cm for females.

The diet of Stephanolepis diaspros is varied, but is dominated by crustaceans and molluscs. Algae, echinoderms, coelenterates and fish remains were also found in the stomach contents of examined specimens while sponges, hydrozoans, foraminifera and Bryozoa were also preyed on. They feed with the greatest intensity in spring but this tails off in the summer spawning season. [10]

Economic impact

Stephanolepsis diaspros is not an important commercial species in the Mediterranean basin because of its relatively small size and, in some places, it is viewed as a pest to the fishery and any specimens caught are discarded. [9] In the Gulf of Suez any specimens caught by fishermen were discarded up to the 1990s but it has become an important commercial species since the mid 1990s and there are indications that the stock is being overfished. [10]

male off Crete 777 Crete 15.09.2012.jpg
male off Crete
another off Crete 775 Crete 15.09.2012.jpg
another off Crete

Related Research Articles

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

The filefish (Monacanthidae) are a diverse family of tropical to subtropical tetraodontiform marine fish, which are also known as foolfish, leatherjackets or shingles. They live in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Filefish are closely related to triggerfish, pufferfish and trunkfish.

<i>Aluterus scriptus</i> Species of fish

Aluterus scriptus, commonly known as scrawled filefish, broomtail filefish or scribbled leatherjacket, is a marine fish belonging to the family Monacanthidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Sea bannerfish</span> Species of fish

The Red Sea bannerfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish from the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the western Indian Ocean. It has been recorded as an introduced species off Florida and as a Lessepsian migrant in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Turkey.

<i>Stephanolepis</i> Genus of fishes

Stephanolepis is a genus of bony fish in the family Monacanthidae, the filefishes. Members of this genus are unusual-shaped fish and have a very rough skin which gives them their common name. They are laterally flattened and deep bodied with long dorsal and anal fins and a fan-shaped tail. They have a mouth at the tip of the projecting snout and a long spine on the top of the head.

<i>Stephanolepis hispidus</i> Species of fish

Stephanolepis hispidus, the planehead filefish, is a species of bony fish, a ray-finned fish in the family Monacanthidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dusky spinefoot</span> Species of fish

The dusky spinefoot, also known 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.

<i>Decapterus russelli</i> Species of fish

Decapterus russelli, also known as the Indian scad, northern mackerel scad, round scad, Russell's mackerel scad, slender scad, or three lined grunter, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Carangidae. It naturally occurs in the Indian and the western Pacific Oceans and has colonised the eastern Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. It is an important species in coastal fisheries throughout its range.

<i>Sphyraena chrysotaenia</i> Species of fish

Sphyraena chrysotaenia, the yellowstripe barracuda, is a species of predatory, ray finned fish from the family Sphyraenidae which is found in the Indo-West Pacific region. It has entered the Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal as a Lessepesian migrant and is now an important species in the fisheries of the eastern Mediterranean.

<i>Upeneus moluccensis</i> Species of fish

Upeneus moluccensis, the goldband goatfish, golden-banded goatfish or Moluccan goatfish, is a species of Indo-Pacific goatfish from the red mullet and goatfish family, the Mullidae. It is widespread in the warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans as far east as New Caledonia and has colonised the eastern Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal, making it a Lessepsian migrant.

<i>Terapon puta</i> Species of fish

Terapon puta, the spiny-checked grunter, three-lined grunter, small-scaled banded grunter, small-scaled terapon, squeaking perch or two-lined grunter, is a species of fish from the Indo-Pacific region, it is a member of the grunter family, Terapontidae. It has also spread into the eastern Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal, a process known as Lessepsian migration.

<i>Jaydia queketti</i> Species of fish

Jaydia queketti, the spotfin cardinal or signal cardinalfish, is a species of ray-finned fish from the Indian Ocean, it is a member of the family Apogonidae. It has colonised the eastern Mediterranean Sea by way of the Suez Canal since 2004.

<i>Jaydia smithi</i> Species of fish

Jaydia smithi, Smith's cardinalfish, is a species of ray-finned fish from the Indian and Pacific Oceans, a member of the family Apogonidae. It has colonised the eastern Mediterranean Sea by way of the Suez Canal since 2007.

<i>Cheilodipterus novemstriatus</i> Species of fish

Cheilodipterus novemstriatus, the Indian Ocean twospot cardinalfish, is a species of ray-finned fish from the Indian Ocean, which is a member of the family Apogonidae. It has colonised the eastern Mediterranean Sea by way of the Suez Canal since 2011.

<i>Crenidens crenidens</i> Species of fish

Crenidens crenidens, the karanteen seabream or karanteen, is a species of ray-finned fish from the sea bream family Sparidae which was described by the Swedish zoologist Peter Forsskål in 1775. It is native to the western Indian Ocean but has colonised the eastern Mediterranean Sea since 1970. It is one of only three species in genus Crenidens, the others being the little known Crenidens macracanthus and the partially sympatric C. indicus.

<i>Apogonichthyoides pharaonis</i> Species of fish

Apogonichthyoides pharaonis, the Pharaoh cardinalfish, is a species of cardinalfish from the family Apogonidae which is found the western Indian Ocean and Red Sea. It is one of a group of species which have colonised the eastern Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal, a process known as Lessepsian migration.

<i>Nemipterus randalli</i> Species of fish

Nemipterus randalli, or Randall's threadfin bream, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Nemipteridae, the threadfin breams, which is native to the western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, it has invaded the eastern Mediterranean by Lessepsian migration through the Suez Canal.

Equulites klunzingeri, or Klunzinger's ponyfish, is a marine, demersal species of ponyfish from the family Leiognathidae which was originally found only in the Red Sea. It is colonizing the Mediterranean as part of the Lessepsian migration through the Suez Canal.

<i>Pomadasys stridens</i> Species of fish

Pomadasys stridens, the striped piggy or lined piggy, is a grunt from the western Indian Ocean, it is one of a group of Indo-Pacific marine species which have colonised the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea, a process known as Lessepsian migration.

Pteragogus trispilus is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the wrasse family, the Labridae. It is native to the Red Sea from where it has entered the Mediterranean Sea.

Epinephelus geoffroyi, the Red Sea spotted grouper, is a species of marine fish in the genus Epinephelus in the grouper family. The species was first described in 1870. E. geoffroyi was previously considered a synonym of Epinephelus chlorostigma, but Randall et al. recognized it as a valid species in 2013.

References

  1. Matsuura, K.; Motomura, H.; Khan, M. (2019). "Stephanolepis diaspros". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T18257687A46663994. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T18257687A46663994.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Armi G. Torres; Christine Marie V. Casal (2016). R. Froese; D. Paully (eds.). "Stephanolepis diaspros Fraser-Brunner, 1940". Fishbase. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  3. "Synonyms of Stephanolepis diaspros Fraser-Brunner, 1940". Fishbase. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea (Stephanolepis diaspros). 2nd Edition. 2021. 366p. CIESM Publishers, Paris, Monaco.https://ciesm.org/atlas/fishes_2nd_edition/Stephanolepis_diaspros.pdf
  5. "PESCE UNICORNO. Stephanolepis diaspros (in Italian)". PESCE UNICORNO. Stephanolepis diaspros. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  6. N. bailly (2016). R, Froses; D. Pauly (eds.). "Stephanolepis diaspros Fraser-Brunner 1940". World register of Marine Species. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  7. "Stephanolepis diaspros". Marine Species Identification Forum Fishes of the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean. ETI Bioinformatics. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  8. P. Balistreri; M. Parasporo (2015). "New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (July 2015) - First record of Stephanolepis diaspros (Tetrao-dontiformes, Monacanthidae) from the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area (western Sicily)". Mediterranean Marine Science. 16 (2): 483.
  9. 1 2 3 4 M. Otero; E. Cebrian; P. Francour; B. Galil; D. Savini (2013). Monitoring Marine Invasive Species in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) A strategy and practical guide for managers (PDF). International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. ISBN   979-2-8317-1615-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ignored ISBN errors (link)
  10. 1 2 Azza El-Ganainy; Manal Sabrah (2013). "Biological studies on the filefish Setphanolepis diaspros, Fraser-Brunner, 1940 (Monacanthidae) from the Gulf of Suez, Egpyt". Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries. 17 (1): 113–121.