| Triacanthus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Triacanthus biaculeatus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Triacanthidae |
| Genus: | Triacanthus Oken, 1817 |
| Type species | |
| Balistes biaculeatus Bloch, 1786 | |
Triacanthus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthidae, the triplespines or tripodfishes. The two species in this genus are found in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Triacanthus was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1786 by the German naturalist Lorenz Oken with Balistes biaculeatus as its type species by monotypy. [1] B. aculeatus was first formally described in 1786 by the German physician and naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch with its type locality given as the Indian Ocean. [2] In 1968, James C. Tyler classified the family Triacanthidae within the suborder Triacanthoidei alongside the Triacanthodidae. [3] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the Triacanthoidei as suborder of the order Tetraodontiformes. [4]
Triacanthus prefixes acanthus, which means “thorn” or “spine”, with tri-, meaning “three”, this is an allusion to the long and robust first spine of the dorsal fin and the two large spines in the pelvic fins. Balistes , the genus the type species was originally classified in, does not possess pelvic fin spines. [5]
Triacanthus currently has 2 recognised species classified within it: [6]
Triacanthus tripodfishes have a lower, scaly surface of the pelvis that is nearly as wide at the front as it is at the rear and which does not taper to a point. There are six spines in the dorsal fin, the first spine being between three and four times longer than the second spine. There are 21 to 26 soft rays in the dorsal fin and 17 to 23 in the anal fin. The scales have low emarginated cross-shaped ridges. [7] The two species in the genus are similar in size with maximum published total lengths for T. biaculeatus of 30 cm (12 in) and for T. nieuhofii of 28 cm (11 in). [6]
Triacanthus tripodfishes have an Indo-West Pacific distribution and are found in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman east to Indonesia, north to Japan and south to northern Australia. [8] These fishes are found in coastal waters and estuaries, on sand or mud flats typically no deeper than 60 m (200 ft). [9]
Triacanthus tripodfishes are sold as fresh fish in markets and are used in traditional Chinese medicine. [9]
Tetraodontiformes, also known as the Plectognathi, is an order of ray-finned fishes which includes the pufferfishes and related taxa. This order has been classified as a suborder of the order Perciformes, although recent studies have found that it, as the Tetraodontoidei, is a sister taxon to the anglerfish order Lophiiformes, called Lophiodei, and have placed both taxa within the Acanthuriformes. The Tetraodontiformes are represented by 10 extant families and at around 430 species overall. The majority of the species within this order are marine but a few may be found in freshwater. They are found throughout the world.
Triacanthidae, the triplespines or tripodfishes, is a family of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes, whicj also includes the pufferfishes, boxfishes, filefishes and related groups. The family is made up of four extant genera and three extinct genera which are known from fossils.
The spikefishes are ray-finned fishes related to the pufferfishes and triggerfishes. They live in deep waters; more than 50 m (160 ft), but above the continental shelves. They are found in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and the west-central Pacific.
Pseudotriacanthus is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthidae, the triplespines or tripodfishes. The only species in this genus is Pseudotriacanthus strigilifer, the longspined tripodfish. This taxon is found in the Indo-West Pacific region.
Tripodichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthidae, the triplespines or tripodfishes. The three species in this genus are found in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean in shallow water over soft substrates.
Bathyphylax is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. The fishes in this genus are found in the deep waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Halimochirurgus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. The fishes in this genus are found in the deep waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Macrorhamphosodes, the trumpetsnouts, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. The fishes in this genus are found in the deep waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Mephisto fraserbrunneri, the devil's spikefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. This species is found in the Indian Ocean.
Mephisto is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. These fishes are found in the Indian Ocean.
Parahollardia is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. These demersal fishes are found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.
Paratriacanthodes is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. These fishes are found found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Triacanthodes is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. These fishes are found found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Tydemania navigatoris, the fleshy-lipped spikefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. This species is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans where it occurs at depths of from 50 to 607 metres. This species grows to a length of 12 centimetres (4.7 in) SL. This fish is specialized to feed on the scales of other fishes. This species is the only known member of the genus Tydemania.
Triacanthus biaculeatus, also known as the short-nosed tripod fish, black-finned triple-spine, blacktail tripodfish, hollow-snouted tripodfish or silver tripodfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthidae, the triplespines or tripodfishes. This species is found in the Indo-West Pacific region.
Triacanthodes ethiops, the shortsnout spikefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. This species is found in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Paratriacanthodes retrospinis, the sawspine spikefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Triacanthus nieuhofii, the silver tripodfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthidae, the triplespines or tripodfishes. This species is found in the Indo-West Pacific region.
Triacanthodes anomalus, the red spikefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. This species is found in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Triacanthoidei is a suborder of ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes, which includes the pufferfishes, triggerfishes and related taxa. These benthic fishes are mainly found in the Indian Ocean with some of the spikefishes found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.