Ctenochaetus flavicauda

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Ctenochaetus flavicauda
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Ctenochaetus
Species:
C. flavicauda
Binomial name
Ctenochaetus flavicauda
Fowler, 1938

Ctenochaetus flavicauda, the whitetail bristletooth or redspotted tang, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. It is found in the western central Pacific Ocean.

Taxonomy[edit]

Ctenochaetus flavicauda was first formally described in 1938 by the American zoologist Henry Weed Fowler with its type locality given as Takaroa in the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia.[2] The type specimen was collected on the George Vanderbilt South Pacific Expedition of 1937.[3] The genera Ctenochaetus and Acanthurus make up the tribe Acanthurini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Acanthurinae which is one of two subfamilies in the family Acanthuridae.[4]

Etymology[edit]

Ctenochaetus flavicauda has the specific name flavicauda, meaning "yellow tail", which is a reference to what Fowler described as its "brilliant yellow caudal fin", although subsequent authors have described the caudal fin as pure white.[5]

Description[edit]

Ctenochaetus flavicauda has its dorsal fin supported by 8 spines and between 26 and 28 soft rays while its anal fin is supported by 3 spines and 23 to 26 soft rays. This species has a maximum published total length of 16 cm (6.3 in).[6] The overall colour is reddish marked with many blue spots on the head and these change into blue lines on the body.[3] The brilliant white caudal fin contrasts sharply with the rest of the body.[5]

Distribution and habitat[edit]

Ctenochaetus flavicauda occurs in the central Pacific Ocean from the Phoenix Islands north to the Line Islands, east to the Pitcairn Islands, south to the Austral Islands and Rapa Iti.[1] It is found on coral reefs down to depths of 30 m (98 ft).[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Clements, K.D.; Choat, J.H.; Abesamis, R.; et al. (2012). "Ctenochaetus flavicauda". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T178018A1522865. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T178018A1522865.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Ctenochaetus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b Fowler, Henry W. (1938). The Fishes of the George Vanderbilt South Pacific Expedition, 1937. Philadelphia. p. 104.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.
  5. ^ a b Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 January 2021). "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 2): Families EPHIPPIDAE, LEIOGNATHIDAE, SCATOPHAGIDAE, ANTIGONIIDAE, SIGANIDAE, CAPROIDAE, LUVARIDAE, ZANCLIDAE and ACANTHURIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Ctenochaetus flavicauda" in FishBase. June 2023 version.

External links[edit]