Caracanthus typicus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Genus: Caracanthus
Species:
C. typicus
Binomial name
Caracanthus typicus
Krøyer, 1845

Caracanthus typicus, the Hawaiian orbicular velvetfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, an orbicular velvetfish, belonging to the family Scorpaenidae. This species is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.

Taxonomy

Caracanthus typicus was first formally described in 1845 by the Danish zoologist Henrik Nikolai Krøyer with the type locality given as the Hawaiian Islands.[2] Kroyer also described a new monotypic genus, Caracanthus, when he described this species, so it is the type species of that genus and of the subfamily Caracanthinae of the family Scorpaenidae.[3] The specific name typicus denotes that this species is the type species of its genus.[4]

Description

Caracanthus typicus has a laterally compressed, disc-shaped, gray body covered with small red spots. This species has skin covered with papillae that produce a velvety texture. The closely related Caracanthus maculatus tends to have smaller and more numerous spots that are dark red to dark brown. The Hawaiian orbicular velvetfish can reach a length of 4 cm (1.6 in).[5][6]

Distribution and habitat

Caracanthus typicus is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands in the eastern central Pacific Ocean where it inhabits reefs as a benthic species which usually lives among the branches of the cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina).[7]

Biology

Caracanthus typicus will move deeper into the coral if disturbed and it has venomous spines in its fins.[5]

Conservation

Caracanthus typicus is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, being associated with coral reefs, and, in particular, the cauliflower coral. Based on the area of coral reef in the Hawaiian Islands, this species has a very limited distributio which is near to the threshold for the IUCN to classify it as Vulnerable. There have been localised declines in coral cover due to overfishing, climate change, pollution and invasive species in Hawaii and it is thought that there has been a continuing decline in habitat quality. Due to the ain threat of habitat degradation, it is estimated that this species occurs at between 2 and 6 locations and the IUCN list this species as Near Threatened.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Motomura, H. & Matsuura, K. (2016). "Caracanthus typicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T69793068A69800907. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69793068A69800907.en. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  2. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Caracanthus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Scorpaenidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  4. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (2 October 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 9): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Family Scorpaenidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  5. 1 2 "caracanthus typicus". www.hawaiisfishes.com. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  6. ↑ Randall (2007). Reef and Shore Fishes of the Hawaiian Islands. ISBN 1-929054-03-3
  7. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2022). "Caracanthus typicus" in FishBase. February 2022 version.
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