The rare velvetfish (Matsubarichthys inusitatus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a velvetfish belonging to the family Aploactinidae. It is known only from the coasts of Queensland and New South Wales in Australia. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Matsubarichthys.
| Rare velvetfish | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Aploactinidae |
| Genus: | Matsubarichthys Poss & G. D. Johnson, 1991 |
| Species: | M. inusitatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Matsubarichthys inusitatus Poss & G. D. Johnson, 1991
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Taxonomy
editThe rare velvetfish was first formally described in 1991 by the ichthyologists Stuart G. Poss and G. David Johnson from a holotype which was apparently transitioning from a larva to a juvenile and which was collected from One Tree Island off Queensland, Australia.[1] When they described this new species Poss and Johnson classified it in the new monotypic genus Matsubarichthys.[2] This taxon is classified within the family Aploactinidae in the suborder Scorpaenoidei within the order Scorpaeniformes,[3] although this family is also treated as a subfamily of the stonefish family Synanceiidae[4][5] within the Scorpaenoidei, which in turn is treated as a superfamily within the order Perciformes.[6] The name of the genus, Matsubarichthys honours the Japanese ichthyologist Kiyomatsu Matsubara for his work on the scorpeaniform fishes. The specific name inusitatus is Latin for"unusual" or "rare", alluding to the single specimen of this apparently quite basal velvetfish.[7]
Description
editThe rare velvetfish has 6 spines and 6 soft rays in its dorsal fin while the anal fin has 2 spines and 4 soft rays. It has an elongated and uncompressed body with a very large head. It has a rounded caudal fin which has unbranched fin rays. There are no scales on the body other than the elongated scales which make up the lateral line.[8] The large mouth is oblique and the head has numerous blunt spines which are covered in thick skin. The adults have not been collected but it is likely that they have depressed heads which are equivalent in length to half the standard length. The largest specimen had a body length of 8.5mm[9] and the standard length of an adult is estimated to be 1.7 cm (0.67 in).[8]
Distribution and habitat
editThe rare velvetfish has only been recorded from the western Tasman Sea off the coasts of Queensland and New South Wales from One Tree Island as far south as Sydney.[10] The larvae are pelagic but they settle on the bottom as they mature into adults. The only settled specimen was collected among oysters near a large estuary.[9]
Biology
editRare velvetfishes are little known, at least one larvae had consumed some copepods and the largest specimen was collected near the surface in 30 m (98 ft) of water, suggesting that they may have a daily migration to the surface to forage.[9]
References
edit- ^ Poss, S.G. & Johnson, G.D. (1991). "Matsubarichthys inusitatus, a new genus and species of velvetfish (Scorpaeniformes: Aploactinidae) from the Great Barrier Reef". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 104 (3): 468–473.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Aploactininae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 468–475. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.
- ^ Smith, W. Leo; Smith, Elizabeth; Richardson, Clara (February 2018). "Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Flatheads, Scorpionfishes, Sea Robins, and Stonefishes (Percomorpha: Scorpaeniformes) and the Evolution of the Lachrymal Saber". Copeia. 106 (1): 94–119. doi:10.1643/CG-17-669. S2CID 91157582.
- ^ Willingham, AJ (13 April 2018). "Stonefish are already scary, and now scientists have found they have switchblades in their heads". CNN.
- ^ Ricardo Betancur-R; Edward O. Wiley; Gloria Arratia; et al. (2017). "Phylogenetic classification of bony fishes". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 17 (162): 162. Bibcode:2017BMCEE..17..162B. doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0958-3. PMC 5501477. PMID 28683774.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (10 March 2022). "Order Perciformes (Part 10): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Families Apistidae, Tetrarogidae, Synanceiidae, Aploacrinidae, Perryenidae, Eschmeyeridae, Pataecidae, Gnathanacanthidae, Congiopodidae and Zanclorhynchidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Matsubarichthys inusitatus". FishBase. February 2022 version.
- ^ a b c Leis, J.M.; Hay, A.C. & Miskiewicz, A.G. (2004). "Larval development of the rare Australian aploactinid fish Matsubarichthys inusitatus (Pisces: Scorpaeniformes)" (PDF). Zoological Studies. 43 (3): 580–588.
- ^ Bray, D.J. (2017). "Matsubarichthys inusitatus". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 28 April 2022.