Paraheminodus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Peristediidae, the armoured gurnards or armored searobins. These fishes are found in the western Pacific Ocean.

Paraheminodus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Peristediidae
Genus: Paraheminodus
Kamohara, 1958
Type species
Satyrichthys laticephalus
Kamohara, 1952[1]

Taxonomy

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Paraheminodus was first described as a genus in 1958 by the Japanese ichthyologist Toshiji Kamohara with Satyrichthys laticephalus, which Kamohara had described in 1952, with off Mimase in Kochi Prefecture in Japan as its type locality, designated at its type species, although the genus was described as monospecific.[1][2] The genus is classified within the family Peristediidae.[1] Within the family Peristediidae there are 2 clades, this genus is in the clade consisting of 5 genera, with the nominate genus Peristedion in the other clade.[3] The name of the genus Paraheminodus means “near Heminodus” from which this genus differs by having well developed barbels on its chin.[4]

Species

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Paraheminodus kamoharai, (A) Lateral view. (B) Close-up image of head in lateral view. (C) Close-up image of head in dorsal view. anterior to left. figure not to scale.

There are currently 4 recognized species in this genus:[5]

Characteristics

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Paraheminodus armoured gurnards are similar in form to Heminodus and share the band of teeth in the upper jaw with that genus but the barbels on the chin are more developed.[6] Another difference between the two is that in Paraheminodus the rostral process is long and flattened. like a spatula while in Heminodus is short and triangular.[7] The smallest of these fishes is P. kamoharai which has a maximum published standard length of 11.5 cm (4.5 in) while the largest is P. murrayi which has a maximum published standard length of 26.5 cm (10.4 in).[5]

Distribution and habitat

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Paraheminodus armoured gurnards are found in the Indo-Pacific, the most widespread species is Murray’s armoured gurnard (P. murrayi) which ranges from East Africa to New Caledonia, north to Japan and south to Australia.[8] The other three species are found in the Western Pacific Ocean and are deepwater, demersal fishes.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Peristediinae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Paraheminodus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  3. ^ Toshio Kawai (2008). "Phylogenetic Systematics of the Family Peristediidae (Teleostei: Actinopterygii)". Species Diversity. 13 (1): 1–34. doi:10.12782/specdiv.13.1.
  4. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (26 June 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 12): Suborder Triglioidei: Families Triglidae and Peristediidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Paraheminodus". FishBase. February 2022 version.
  6. ^ Toshiji Kamohara (1958). "Notes on twenty additions to the marine fish fauna of Prov. Tosa, Japan, including one new genus (Family Peristediidae)". Research Reports of Kôchi University. 6 (5): 1–6.
  7. ^ W.J. Richards (1999). "Triglidae Gurnards, sea robins (also, armoured gurnards, armoured sea robins)". In Carpenter, K.E.; Niem, V.H. (eds.). FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 4. Bony fishes part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). FAO, Rome. pp. 2359–2382. ISBN 9251043019.
  8. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Paraheminodus murrayi". FishBase. February 2022 version.