Wattsia

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Wattsia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Lethrinidae
Genus: Wattsia
W. L. Y. Chan & Chilvers, 1974
Species:
W. mossambica
Binomial name
Wattsia mossambica
Synonyms [2]
  • Gnathodentex mossambicusJ. L. B. Smith, 1957

Wattsia is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Lethrinidae, the emperors and emperor breams. The only species in the genus is Wattsa mossambica, the Mozambique large-eye bream or Mozambique sea bream of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

Contents

Taxonomy

Wattsia was first proposed as a monospecific genus by W. L. Y. Chan and Roy M. Chilvers in 1972, the only species they included in the new genus was Gnathodentex mossambicus. G. mossambica had been first formally described in 1957 by the South African ichthyologist James Leonard Brierley Smith with its type locality given as Pinda in Mozambique. [3] Some authors place this taxon in the subfamily Monotaxinae but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise the subfamilies traditionally accepted within the family Lethrinidae as valid. The family Lethrinidae is classified by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World as belonging to the order Spariformes. [4]

Etymology

Wattsia, the generic name, means "belonging to Watts" and honours J. C. D. Watts, a hydrogapher with the Fisheries Research Station in Hong Kong from 1969-1972. The specific name refers to the type locality. [5]

Description

Wattsia has a deep, approximately rhombus shaped body with its depth being about half of its standard length. [6] The dorsal fin is supported by 10 spines and 10 soft rays with the anal fin having 3 spines and 10 soft rays. The inner axil of the pectoral fin has no scales. [2] The teeth in the jaws are arranged as a single, thin band of bristle-like teeth with an outer row of conival teeth and there are 4 moderate sized canine-like teeth in the front of the upper jaw and six in the lower jaw. The maxilla has a horizontal serrated ridge on its outer surface. [7] The caudal fin is forked with the tips of the lobes being rounded. The colour of this fish is a yellowish hued silvery grey, with some vague bars and blotches sometimes apparent. The lips and fins are yellow, the fins sometimes having brown spots. There is a black bar on the base of the pectoral fin. [8] This species has a maximum published total length of 55 cm (22 in), although 35 cm (14 in) is more typical. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Wattsia is found from the eastern African coast off Mozambique, the Seychelles, Maldives and Sri Lanka and into the Pacific Ocean east to Fiji and north to Japan, south to Australia. It is found on the outer limit of the continental shelf at depths between 100 and 180 m (330 and 590 ft), and has been caught at 290 m (950 ft). [1]

Fisheries

Wattsia is fished for wherever it occurs, mainly by longlining and bottom trawling, as well as handlining over deep slopes. It makes up more than 50% of the Lethrinidae landed in Melanesia. [1]

Related Research Articles

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Sparidae is a family of ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Spariformes, the seabreams 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.

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

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<i>Monotaxis grandoculis</i> Species of fish

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<i>Gymnocranius audleyi</i> Species of fish

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<i>Monotaxis</i> (fish) Genus of fishes

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<i>Gnathodentex</i> Genus of fishes

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<i>Gymnocranius</i> Genus of fishes

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<i>Lethrinus obsoletus</i> Species of fish

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<i>Lethrinus atlanticus</i> Species of fish

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<i>Acanthopagrus</i> Genus of fishes

Acanthopagrus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, the sea breams and porgies. The fish in this genus are found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

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

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<i>Gymnocranius griseus</i> Species of fish

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<i>Diplodus capensis</i> Species of fish

Diplodus capensis, the Cape white seabream or blacktail seabream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This fish is found around the coasts of Southern Africa.

<i>Gymnocranius grandoculis</i> Species of fish

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<i>Lethrinus crocineus</i> Species of marine fish

Lethrinus crocineus, the yellowtail emperor, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Lethrinidae, the emperors and emperor breams. This fish is found in the Indian Ocean.

<i>Lethrinus variegatus</i> Species of marine fish

Lethrinus variegatus, the slender emperor or variegated emperor, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Lethrinidae, the emperors and emperor breams. This fish has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

<i>Lethrinus borbonicus</i> Species of fish

Lethrinus borbonicus, the snubnose emperor, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Lethrinidae, the emperor breams and emperors. This species is found in the Western Indian Ocean and is of some importance to commercial fisheries in that region.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Carpenter, K.E.; Lawrence, A. & Myers, R. (2016). "Wattsia mossambica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T16721842A16722465. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T16721842A16722465.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Wattsia mosambica". FishBase . October 2023 version.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Wattsia". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 502–506. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN   2015037522. OCLC   951899884. OL   25909650M.
  5. ↑ "Order SPARIFORMES: Families LETHRINIDAE, NEMIPTERIDAE and SPARIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. 17 October 2022. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  6. ↑ Kent E. Carpenter (2022). "Family Lethrinidae". In Phillip C Heemstra; Elaine Heemstra; David A Ebert; Wouter Holleman; John E Randall (eds.). Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean (PDF). Vol. 3. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. pp. 316–327. ISBN   978-1-990951-32-9.
  7. ↑ Kent E. Carpenter; Gerald R. Allen (1989). Emperor fishes and large-eye breams of the world (Family Lethrinidae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lethrinid species known to date (PDF). FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 9. FAO, Rome.
  8. ↑ Bray, D.J. (2022). "Wattsia mossambica". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
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