Pentapodus

Pentapodus
Pentapodus aureofasciatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Nemipteridae
Genus: Pentapodus
Quoy & Gaimard, 1824
Type species
Pentapodus vitta
Quoy & Gaimard, 1824
Synonyms[1]

Pentapodus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Nemipteridae, the threadfin breams. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Taxonomy

Pentapodus was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1824 by the French naturalists Jean René Constant Quoy and Joseph Paul Gaimard[1] when they described Pentapodus vitta from Shark Bay in Western Australia.[2] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Pentapodus within the family Nemipteridae which it places in the order Spariformes.[3]

Etymology

Pentapodus is a combination of penta,meaning "five", and podus, which means "foot", what this was alluding to was not explained by Quoy and Gaimard. However, according to Valenciennes, who called the genus “Pentapus” in 1835, it was a reference to the three long, pointed scales, one above root of each of the pelvic and pectoral fins with a single one between these, giving the appearance of five ventral fins.[4]

Species

Pentapodus contains the following recognised species:[5]

Characteristics

Pentapodus fishes are separated from the other genera of Nemipteridae by the following characteristics. The body has a depth which fits into its standard length 3 to 3.5 times. The suborbital may be either scaly or naked with either having a weak spine or no spine. The rear margin of suborbital smooth, or has very small serrations and may have a small number of small denticulations. The rear edge of the preoperculum may have very small denticle or be smooth. The scales on the crown extend forward to or in beyond the centre of the eyes. The temples are scaly. There are 2 or 3 pairs of small canine-like teeth in the front of the upper jaw and a pair of larger, flared canine-like teeth on both sides of the lower jaw. The second spine in the anal fin is shorter and weaker than third spine.[6] The smallest species is P. kmodoensis with a maximum published standard length of 10.4 cm (4.1 in) while the largest is P. emeryii which has a maximum published total length of 35 cm (14 in).[5]

Distribution

Pentapodus fishes are found un the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Nemipteridae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Pentapodus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Order SPARIFORMES: Families LETHRINIDAE, NEMIPTERIDAE and SPARIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Pentapodus". FishBase. October 2023 version.
  6. ^ B. C. Russell (2001). "Nemipteridae". In Carpenter, K.E. & Neim, Volker H. (eds.). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 5: Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae) (PDF). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO Rome. p. 3051.