Canthigaster supramacula

Canthigaster supramacula, known as the West African sharpnose-puffer, is a species of marine fish in the family Tetraodontidae. It was first isolated from the coast of central Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean.[2] It is named in reference to the conspicuous ocellus-like spot on its side, anterior to its dorsal fin's base.

Canthigaster supramacula
A small, brown fish with golden eyes and dots of iridescent blue on its side, and no dorsal fin
West African sharpnose puffer seen off the coast of Sao Tomé
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Tetraodontidae
Genus: Canthigaster
Species:
C. supramacula
Binomial name
Canthigaster supramacula

Description edit

Canthigaster supramacula can measure up to 3.9 centimetres (1.5 in), counting with no dorsal spines, possessing 10 dorsal soft rays and 9 anal soft rays. It shows a conspicuous dark spot resembling an ocellus on the dorsal portion of its trunk, the dorsal portion of which extends towards its dorsal fin. It lacks dark stripes along the sides of the body like some of its cogenerate species, bearing two to four lines that extend from the caudal peduncle through the dorsal fin's base .[2]

Distribution edit

The species is reef-associated. It is known from the Eastern Central Atlantic, first collected from off Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ Shao, K.; Leis, J.L.; Harwell, H.; Jing, L.; Liu, M.; Hardy, G. (2014). "Canthigaster supramacula". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T193753A2271950. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T193753A2271950.en. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b c MOURA, Rodrigo L., and Ricardo CASTRO. "Revision of Atlantic sharpnose pufferfishes (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae: Canthigaster), with description of three new species." Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington115.1 (2002): 32-50.

Further reading edit

  • Wirtz, Peter, et al. "Coastal fishes of São Tomé and Príncipe islands, Gulf of Guinea (Eastern Atlantic Ocean)–an update." Zootaxa 1523 (2007): 1-48.
  • Randall, John E., Jeffrey T. Williams, and Luiz A. Rocha. "The Indo-Pacific tetraodontid fish Canthigaster coronata, a complex of three species." Smithiana Bulletin 9 (2008): 3-13.
  • Quimbayo Agreda, Juan Pablo. "Estruturas das comunidades de peixes recifais em ilhas oceânicas do atlântico e pacífico oriental." (2013).
  • Wirtz, Peter, et al. "The coastal fishes of the Cape Verde Islands–new records and an annotated check-list." Spixiana 36.1 (2013): 113–142.

External links edit