Brama (fish)
Genus of fishes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brama is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes from the family Bramidae, the pomfrets. The genus currently comprises eight species (see below).
| Brama | |
|---|---|
| |
| Atlantic pomfret (B. brama) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Scombriformes |
| Family: | Bramidae |
| Genus: | Brama Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801 |
| Type species | |
| Sparus raii Bloch, 1791 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Characteristics
Species of Brama have a compressed head and body, the body forming a tapering oval shape with a slender caudal peduncle.[2]
The dorsal and ventral profiles of the head are smoothly convex, and the snout is short and bluntly rounded.[3] The mouth is oblique and angled upward, with the lower jaw projecting[4]
There is a single dorsal fin and a long-based anal fin; the dorsal fin originates above the base of the pectoral fins.[2] The dorsal and anal fins are similar in shape, although the dorsal fin has a distinct anterior lobe.[3] The pectoral fins are positioned low on the body and are relatively long, extending to about the midpoint of the anal fin.[4] The pelvic fins are small and situated below the base of the pectoral fins.[2] The caudal fin is deeply forked.[3]
The body and most of the head are covered in keeled scales, while the scales that cover the ventral surface are smooth.[5]
Taxonomy
The genus Brama was established in 1801 by the German naturalists Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799) and Johann Gottlob Schneider (1750–1822).[1] In 1823, Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent designated Sparus raii Bloch, 1791 as the type species.[1]
Species
Eight recognized species are in this genus:[6]
- Brama australis Valenciennes, 1838 (southern Ray's bream)
- Brama brama (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Atlantic pomfret)
- Brama caribbea Mead, 1972 (Caribbean pomfret)
- Brama dussumieri G. Cuvier, 1831 (lesser bream)
- Brama japonica Hilgendorf, 1878 (Pacific pomfret)
- Brama myersi Mead, 1972 (Myers' pomfret)
- Brama orcini G. Cuvier, 1831 (bigtooth pomfret)
- Brama pauciradiata Moteki, Fujita & Last, 1995 (shortfin pomfret) [7]
Distribution and range
Species of the genus Brama are predominantly pelagic and occur worldwide in high seas, with the exception of Arctic and Subarctic regions.[8] Two species, Brama orcini and Brama dussumieri, differ in occurring in shallower waters near landmasses.[8]
Commercial importance
Ecology
Although known to be migratory, their migratory behaviour remains poorly documented.[4] Spawning is thought to occur in near-surface waters, as early life stages are most frequently collected in the upper water column.[8] Bramids, including Brama species, are commonly recorded in the stomach contents of large pelagic predators such as tuna and billfish,[9] indicating their importance as forage fish.[8]