Lonchurus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lonchurus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lonchurus lanceolatus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Sciaenidae |
| Genus: | Lonchurus Bloch, 1793 |
| Type species | |
| Lonchurus barbatus Bloch, 1793[1] | |
| Species | |
|
see text | |
Lonchurus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the Western Atlantic.
Lonchurus was first proposed as a genus in 1793 by the German physician and naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch when he described Lonchurus barbatus from Suriname.[1][2] Subsequently L. barbatus was found to be a synonym of Bloch's 1788 species, Perca lanceolatus.[2] This genus has been placed in the subfamily Micropogoninae by some workers,[3] but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sciaenidae which it places in the order Acanthuriformes.[4]
Etymology
Lonchurus means "spear tail" and refers to the pointed, lance like tail of L. lanceolatus.[5]
Species
Lonchurus contains the following species:[6]
- Lonchurus elegans (Boeseman, 1948) (Blackfin croaker)
- Lonchurus lanceolatus (Bloch, 1788) (Longtail croaker)
Some authorities classify the blackfin croaker (L. elegans) in the genus Paralonchurus and treat Lonchurus as a monospecific genus.[2]
Characteristics
Lonchurus croakers have a elongate, slightly compressed body with a long head. They have small eyes and a cone-shape snout which protrudes past the horizontal mouth. There are between 1 and 15 pairs of mental barbels, as well as 4 or 5 pores, on the chin. The margin of the preoperculum is not serrated and there is a notch on the upper angle of the operculum. The dorsal fin is supported by 10 or 11 spines and between 31 and 39 rays. They have a very long, pointed pectoral fin and the caudal fin is pointed too. The anal fin is supported by a pair of weak spins and between 6 and 9 soft rays.[7] These fishes reach a maximum published total length of 32 cm (13 in).[6]
