The barchin scorpionfish (Sebastapistes strongia) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It comes from the Indo-Pacific. The species is commonly seen in areas with mixed sand and rubble in reef flats, shallow lagoons, and channels.
| Barchin scorpionfish | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Scorpaenidae |
| Genus: | Sebastapistes |
| Species: | S. strongia
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| Binomial name | |
| Sebastapistes strongia | |
| Synonyms[3][4] | |
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Taxonomy
editThe barchin scorpionfish was first formally described as Scorpaena strongia in 1829 by the French zoologist Georges Cuvier with the type locality given as Kosrae in the Caroline Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia.[4] Cuvier described the species Scorpaena laniara in the same publication but S. strongia is accepted as the senior synonym through widespread usage and is the valid name for this taxon.[5] When the American ichthyologist Theodore Gill described the genus Sebastapistes in 1877 he included 3 species within it but did not designate a type species and in 1898 David Starr Jordan and Barton Warren Evermann designated Scorpaena strongia as the type species.[6] The specific name strongia refers to the type locality of Kosrae, which used to be called Strong's Island.[7]
Description
editThe barchin scorpionfish has 12 spines and 8 or 9 soft rays in its dorsal fin and 3 spines and 5 soft rays in its anal fin. This species ahs 2 lachrymal spines. It has a maximum published total length of 9.5 cm (3.7 in).[3] There are stripes radiating out of the large eyes and there are sometimes branched cirri above the eyes. The overall colour is brown to reddish brown, with brown, white and black mottling.[8]
Distribution and habitat
editThe barchin scorpionfish has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution from the Red Sea and the eastern coast of Africa as far south a South Africa east through the Indian and Pacific Oceans to the Society Islands, north to Japan and south to Australia.[1] It is found in shallo waters down to 37 m (121 ft) but it is typically found in water less than 3 m (9.8 ft) deep in mixed sand and rubble area of reef flats, shallow lagoons and channels.[3]
Biology
editThe barchin scorpionfish is a solitary nocturnal ambush predator, feeding on small fishes and crustaceans.[1]
Utilisation
editThe barchin scorpion is a rare species in the aquarium trade.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c Motomura, H. & Matsuura, K. (2016). "Sebastapistes strongia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T69920296A70010045. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69920296A70010045.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ Nicolas Bailly (2008). "Sebastapistes strongia (Cuvier, 1829)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Sebastapistes strongia". FishBase. August 2021 version.
- ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Sebastapistes". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Hiroyuki Motomura; Phillipe Béarez & Romain Causse (2011). "Review of Indo-Pacific specimens of the subfamily Scorpaeninae (Scorpaenidae), deposited in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, with description of a new species of Neomerinthe" (PDF). Cybium. 35 (1): 35–73.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Scorpaenidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ 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 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Sebasapites strongia". Reef Life Survey. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Bob Goemans (2012). "Sebastapistes strongia (Cuvier, 1829) Barchin Scorpionfish". Saltcorner | Fish Library. Bob Goemans. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
External links
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Media related to Sebastapistes strongia at Wikimedia Commons
