Pontinus furcirhinus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Scorpaenidae
Genus: Pontinus
Species:
P. furcirhinus
Binomial name
Pontinus furcirhinus
Garman, 1899
Synonyms [2]

Pontinus furcirhinus, one of a number of species known as the "red scorpionfish", is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Taxonomy

Pontinus furcirhinus was first formally described in 1899 by the American zoologist Samuel Garman with the type locality given as northeast of the Galápagos Islands.[3] The specific name furcirhinus is a compound of furcatus which means “forked” and rhinus meaning “snout”, an allusion to the forked appearance of the upper jaw caused by the large patches of teeth.[4]

Description

Pontinus furcirhinus has a comparatively thin compressed body which has a depth of 31-38% of its standard length; the body widens with age.[5] The nape is flat and there is no occipital pit to the rear of its large eyes. Some individuals have a slender, pointed cirrus over the eye. The mouth has teeth on its roof and on the sides but none in the front. There are 12 spines in the dorsal fin, the third spine is highly elongated, as well as 8-9 soft rays with the last ray being divided at its based and is detached from the body. The anal fin has 3 spines and 4 soft rays.[6] There is thick glandular tissue on rear margin of fin spines which are though to produce venom.[7] The overall colour is reddish, of varying shades, mottled with white and dark brown and olive spots on their upper body. The caudal fin and the soft spined part of the dorsal fin are densely spotted with small dark oblong spots.[5] The maximum recorded total length is 27 cm (11 in), although 15 cm (5.9 in) is more typical.[7]

Distributuion and habitat

Pontinus furcirhinus is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from southern Baja California and the western and southern Gulf of California south to Peru. It has been recorded from Cocos Island and Malpelo Island[1] and the northern Galápagos Islands.[6] This bathydemersal species is found at depths down to 300 m (980 ft)[7] over sany and other soft substrates.[1]

Biology

Pontinus furcirhinus is a predator of mobile benthic crustaceans, cephalopods and bony fishes. It is frequently encountered in large schools.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Iwamoto, T.; Eschmeyer, W.; Alvarado, J. (2010). "Pontinus furcirhinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T183281A8086198. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T183281A8086198.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Nicolas Bailly (2010). Nicolas Bailly (ed.). "Pontinus furcirhinus Garman, 1899". FishBase. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Pontinus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 23 January 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 23 January 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Red Scorpionfish". Mexican Fish. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Species: Pontinus furcirhinus, Red scorpionfish". Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2021). "Pontinus furcirhinus" in FishBase. August 2021 version.
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