Barred fingerfin

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Barred fingerfin
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Cheilodactylidae
Genus: Cheilodactylus
Species:
C. pixi
Binomial name
Cheilodactylus pixi

The barred fingerfin (Cheilodactylus pixi) is a species of marine

ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae
, commonly referred to as morwongs. It is found only in the southeastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian Oceans off the coasts of South Africa.

Taxonomy

The barred fingerfin was first formally

type specimen to Smith.[7]

Description

The barred fingerfin has a weakly pointed snout and a concave ventral profile.

anal fin has 3 spines and 8-11 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 18 cm (7.1 in).[9] The overall colour of the ody is pale grey with a speckling of pale brown spots and overlain with four clear, diagonal brown bars. There is a fifth more indistinct bar to the back of the head extending to the base of the pectoral fins. The colour of the fins is translucent orange.[8]

Distribution and habitat

The barred fingerfin is endemic to South Africa where it is found from the

KwaZulu Natal.[10] This species can be found along rocky coastlines and on offshore rocky reefs at depths of 5 to 30 m (16 to 98 ft).[11]

Biology

The barred fingerfin feeds on benthic invertebrates. It is a solitary species which is often observed perched on the reef in the daylight hours.[11] It is known to be preyed upon by the copper shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus) and the sharptooth houndshark (Triakis megalopterus).[9]

Barred Fingerfin at Rocky bank

References

  1. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Cheilodactylus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  2. ^
    doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(03)00157-X
    .
  3. ISBN 1-929054-03-3
    .
  4. ^
    doi:10.1006/bijl.1999.0413
    .
  5. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Cheilodactylus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  6. ^
    doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4585.1.7
    .
  7. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (25 February 2021). "Order Centrarchiformes: Families Centrarchidae, Elassomatidae, Eoplosidae, Sinipercidae, Aplodactylidae, Cheilodactylidae, Chironemidae, Cirrhitidae, Latridae, Percichthydiae, Dichistitidae, Girellidae, Kuhliidae, Kyphosidae, Oplegnathidae, Terapontidae, Microcanthidae, and Scorpididae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Cheilodactylus pixi". Reef Life Survey. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  9. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2021). "Cheilodactylus pixi" in FishBase. June 2021 version.
  10. ^ "East Coast Fish-Watch Project Report August, 2005". South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  11. ^ a b Dennis King (2014). The Reef Guide: fishes, corals, nudibranchs & other vertebrates East & South Coasts of Southern Africa. Penguin Random House South Africa.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barred_fingerfin&oldid=1118675532"