Rainfordia

Last updated

Rainfordia
RainfordOperculMcCuloch.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Serranidae
Subfamily: Epinephelinae
Tribe: Liopropomini
Genus: Rainfordia
McCulloch, 1923
Species:
R. opercularis
Binomial name
Rainfordia opercularis
McCulloch, 1923
RainfordiaOpercularisMap.jpg
Range of Rainfordia

The rainfordia (Rainfordia opercularis), also known as the flathead perch or Rainford's perch, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, related to the groupers and classified within the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae. It is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and in the Western Pacific Ocean. It is the only species in its monotypic genus.

Contents

Description

The rainfordia has an overall dark orange colour broken by six black-margined lilac stripes along each flank, the background orange colour is darkest on the centre of the flanks, fading to yellow on the back and belly. The spines in the dorsal fin are yellowish with a transparent membrane between them. The second dorsal fin has a dark base and a wide-angled yellow band just short of its edge which runs from the first soft ray to the tip of the seventh soft ray. The edge itself is whitish in colour and the remaining soft rays are reddish-brown. The anal fin shows a similar pattern to the dorsal fin. The pectoral fins and the pelvic fin are pinkish yellow in colour. There is a black, blue-edged eyespot at the base of the tail. The caudal fin is brown with its outer margin having a white edge at its corners. [2] This species is also characterised by the forward placement of its eyes and its wide mouth. [3] It attains a maximum recorded total length of 15 centimetres (5.9 in). [4]

Distribution

The rainfordia is found in the Indian Ocean off Western Australia from Kendrew Island in the Dampier Archipelago to Kimberley and in eastern Australia from the northern Great Barrier Reef and reefs in the Coral Sea, as far south as Moreton Bay in Queensland. [2] It was thought to be endemic to Australia but in 2019 it was recorded in the Raja Ampat Islands of West Papua in Indonesia. [5]

Habitat and biology

The rainfordia occurs in inshore waters where it is found in caves and crevices in coral reefs and is generally solitary. [4]

Taxonomy

The rainfordia was first described in 1923 by the Australian ichthyologist Allan Riverstone McCulloch (1885–1925) with the type locality given as the Middle Island, Edgecumbe Bay, Whitsunday Passage, Queensland. [6] It is the only species in the genus Rainfordia which McCulloch named after the collector the type, Mr H.L. Rainford. McCulloch originally placed it as being related to the genus Grammistes but in its own monotypic family, the Rainfordidae, [7] but it is now placed within the tribe Liopropomini. [5]

Utilisation

The rainfordia is a rare species in the wild and in captivity and fetches high prices in the aquarium trade but they have been successfully bred in captivity. [7]

Related Research Articles

Reef butterflyfish Species of fish

The reef butterflyfish. also known as the least butterflyfish, Atlantic butterflyfish, butterbun or school mistress, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish of the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

Royal angelfish Species of fish

The royal angelfish, or regal angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae, and the monotypic genus Pygoplites. It is found in tropical Indo-Pacific oceans. It can grow as long as 25 cm.

Yellow-edged lyretail Species of fish

The yellow-edged lyretail also known as the yellowedge coronation trout, fairy cod, lunar tail rock cod, lunartailed cod, lyre-tail cod or moontail seabass,, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region and is more common than the congeneric white-edged lyretail.

Chevron butterflyfish Species of fish

The chevron butterflyfish, also known as chevroned butterflyfish, triangulate butterflyfish or V-lined butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

Dotted butterflyfish Species of fish

The dotted butterflyfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish. a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.

Yellowhead butterflyfish Species of fish

Chaetodon xanthocephalus, known commonly as the Yellowhead butterflyfish, is a species of marine fish in the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indian Ocean.

Eightband butterflyfish Species of fish

The eight-banded Butterflyfish, also known as the eightband butterflyfish or eight-striped butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region where it is associated with reefs.

<i>Parachaetodon</i> Genus of fishes

Parachaetodon is a monotypic genus of butterflyfishes, the only species being the sixspine butterflyfish, which is also known as the ocellate butterflyfish or eyespot butterflyfish. is a species of butterflyfish native to tropical reefs of the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Golden grouper Species of fish

The golden grouper, also known as the pink grouper or Powell's grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean.

Sailfin snapper Species of fish

The sailfin snapper, blue-lined sea bream or blue-lined sea perch, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. It is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can be found in the aquarium trade. It is currently the only known member of its genus.

Coral hawkfish Species of fish

The coral hawkfish, the pixy hawkfish or sharp-headed hawkfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a hawkfish belonging to the family Cirrhitidae. It is native to tropical reefs of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It occasionally is found in the aquarium trade.

Hawkfish anthias Species of fish

The hawkfish anthias, also known as the swallowtail basslet, coral perch, hawk anthias, fathead anthias, or sunburst anthias, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, an anthias from the subfamily Anthiinae part of the family Serranidae, the groupers and sea basses. It is the only member of the genus Serranocirrhitus. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean. It is sometimes found in the aquarium trade.

<i>Epinephelus spilotoceps</i> Species of fish

Epinephelus spilotoceps, the foursaddle grouper or spotty cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

The flathead congoli is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Bovichtidae, the thornfishes or temperate icefishes. It is native to the seas off southeastern Australia. This species is the only known member of its genus.

<i>Lutjanus carponotatus</i> Species of fish

Lutjanus carponotatus, the Spanish flag snapper, stripey snapper, dusky-striped sea-perch, gold-banded sea perch, gold-stripe sea-perch, striped seaperch or stripey seaperch, is a species marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, from India to northern Australia.

Masked grouper Species of fish

The masked grouper, also known as the thinspine grouper, rededged cod, red-edged grouper, slenderspine grouper, thinspine rockcod, white-margined grouper, white-square cod or white-square grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is the only species in the genus Gracila.

<i>Chaetodon aureofasciatus</i> Species of fish

Chaetodon aureofasciatus, the golden butterflyfish, golden- banded butterflyfish, golden-striped butterflyfish or sunburst butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. This coral eating species is found on shallow reefs in the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Chaetodon rainfordi</i> Species of fish

Chaetodon rainfordi, Rainfords's butterflyfish, also known as the gold-barred butterflyfish or the Northern butterflyfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish, belonging to the family Chaetodontidae. It is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean where it is associated with coral reefs.

White-edged lyretail Species of fish

The white-edged lyretail, also known as the white-edge coronation trout, lyretail grouper, lyretail trout, white-edged lyretail-cod or white-fringed moontail-bass, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region but it is an uncommon species.

Spanish flag (fish) Species of fish

The Spanish flag is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is the only species in the genus Gonioplectrus.

References

  1. Sadovy, Y.J. (2017) [2010]. "Rainfordia opercularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T155317A115299939. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T155317A4773649.en . Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 Bray, D.J. (2019). "Rainfordia opercularis". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  3. Jake Adams (28 January 2020). "Rainfordia opercularis, the flat head perch is one of the rarest and least known of the basslets". reefbuilders. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). Rainfordia &speciesname= opercularis" Rainfordia opercularis " in FishBase . December 2019 version.
  5. 1 2 Anna and Ned DeLoach (25 February 2019). "Surprise! Rainfordia opercularis, the Flathead Perch – Found in Indonesia". The Blenny Watcher. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  6. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Rainfordia opercularus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  7. 1 2 Todd Gardner. "Captive Culture of the Flathead Perch, Rainfordia opercularis". Reefs.com. Retrieved 23 August 2020.