Pterocaesio
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| Pterocaesio | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pterocaesio tile at Bunaken, Sulawesi | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Lutjanidae |
| Subfamily: | Lutjaninae |
| Genus: | Pterocaesio Bleeker, 1876 |
| Type species | |
| Caesio multiradiatus Steindachner, 1861[1] | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Pterocaesio is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, fusiliers belonging to the family Lutjanidae. They are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Species
Pterocaesio was described as a genus in 1876 by the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with Franz Steindachner's Caesio multiradiatus as the type species.[1] This taxon was subsequently shown to be a synonym of Caesio tile which had been described by Georges Cuvier in 1830.[2] The generic name is a compound of ptero meaning "fin" and the genus name Caesio. Bleeker did not give an explanation of his name but it may be because the type species P. tile has a higher number of rays in the dorsal fin. 21, compared to 13-18 in Caesio.[3] Three subgenera have been proposed for Pteroceasio.[4]
Currently, 12 species in this genus are recognized,[5] and have been divided into subgenera by some authorities as follows:[3]
- Subgenus Pterocaesio
- Pterocaesio tile (Cuvier, 1830) (dark-banded fusilier)
- Subgenus Pisinnicaesio Carpenter 1987
- Pterocaesio chrysozona (Cuvier], 1830) (goldband fusilier)
- Pterocaesio digramma (Bleeker, 1864) (double-lined fusilier)
- Pterocaesio pisang (Bleeker, 1853) (banana fusilier)
Subgenus Squamosicaesio Carpenter 1987
- Pterocaesio capricornis J. L. B. Smith & M. M. Smith, 1963 (capricorn fusilier)
- Pterocaesio flavifasciata G. R. Allen & Erdmann, 2006 (yellowstripe fusilier)
- Pterocaesio lativittata Carpenter, 1987 (wide-band fusilier)
- Pterocaesio marri L. P. Schultz, 1953 (Marr's fusilier)
- Pterocaesio monikae G. R. Allen & Erdmann, 2008 (Cenderawasih fusilier)
- Pterocaesio randalli Carpenter, 1987 (Randall's fusilier)
- Pterocaesio tessellata Carpenter, 1987 (one-stripe fusilier)
- Pterocaesio trilineata Carpenter, 1987 (three-stripe fusilier)
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Characteristics
Pterocaesio fusiliers are characterised by having fusiform, elongated bodies which show moderate lateral compression. There are small conical teeth in the jaws and there may, or may not, be similar teeth in the vomer and palatines. The margin of the gill cover forms a flap near its top. The dorsal fin is continuous and has 10 or 11 spines and 14-16 soft rays, in some species this is 10-12 spines and 19-22 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines and 11-13 soft rays and the pectoral fin rays number 17-24. The flanks may be unmarked, there may be one or more horizontal stripes or they can show a large blotch over the base of the pectoral fin. The caudal fin can have black tips to the lobes or a dark streak in the middle of each lobe.[4]
Distribution and habitat
Pterocaesio fusiliers are found in coastal waters of the Indo-West Pacific, although they are absent from the Persian Gulf and the northern Arabian Sea, mainly remaining in the vicinity of coral reefs.[4]