Armorhead
Encyclopedia
The Armorheads are a small family, Pentacerotidae, of fishes in the order Perciformes
. They are native to the Indian Ocean
, western and central Pacific, and southwestern Atlantic. They are generally found at rocky reefs below normal Scuba diving
depths, although several species occur in low densities at shallower depths.
Their name, from Greek
pente meaning "five" and keras meaning "horn", refers to the prominent sharp spines in their dorsal fin
(though these do not number five in all species). The largest species in the family (Paristiopterus) may reach a length of 1 metres (3.3 ft). Many species have distinct dark and light striped bodies, while others are overall dusky-silvery.
Perciformes
The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the class of ray-finned fish and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments...
. They are native to the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, western and central Pacific, and southwestern Atlantic. They are generally found at rocky reefs below normal Scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
depths, although several species occur in low densities at shallower depths.
Their name, from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
pente meaning "five" and keras meaning "horn", refers to the prominent sharp spines in their dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
(though these do not number five in all species). The largest species in the family (Paristiopterus) may reach a length of 1 metres (3.3 ft). Many species have distinct dark and light striped bodies, while others are overall dusky-silvery.
Species
- Genus Evistias JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
, 1907- Striped boarfishStriped boarfishThe striped boarfish, Evistias acutirostris, is an armorhead found around Japan, Hawaii, Australia, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, the Kermadec Islands, and rarely in New Zealand, at depths between . It is the only member of the genus Evistias...
, Evistias acutirostris (TemminckCoenraad Jacob TemminckCoenraad Jacob Temminck was a Dutch aristocrat and zoologist.Temminck was the first director of the National Natural History Museum at Leiden from 1820 until his death. His Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Tableau systematique des oiseaux qui se trouvent en Europe was the standard work on European birds...
and SchlegelHermann SchlegelHermann Schlegel was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.-Early life and education:Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimulated Schlegel's interest in natural history...
, 1844)
- Striped boarfish
- Genus Histiopterus TemminckCoenraad Jacob TemminckCoenraad Jacob Temminck was a Dutch aristocrat and zoologist.Temminck was the first director of the National Natural History Museum at Leiden from 1820 until his death. His Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Tableau systematique des oiseaux qui se trouvent en Europe was the standard work on European birds...
and SchlegelHermann SchlegelHermann Schlegel was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.-Early life and education:Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimulated Schlegel's interest in natural history...
, 1844- Sailfin armourhead, Histiopterus typus TemminckCoenraad Jacob TemminckCoenraad Jacob Temminck was a Dutch aristocrat and zoologist.Temminck was the first director of the National Natural History Museum at Leiden from 1820 until his death. His Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Tableau systematique des oiseaux qui se trouvent en Europe was the standard work on European birds...
and SchlegelHermann SchlegelHermann Schlegel was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.-Early life and education:Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimulated Schlegel's interest in natural history...
, 1844
- Sailfin armourhead, Histiopterus typus Temminck
- Genus Parazanclistius Hardy, 1983
- Short boarfish, Parazanclistius hutchinsi Hardy, 1983
- Genus Paristiopterus BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1876- Yellowspotted boarfish, Paristiopterus gallipavo Whitley, 1944
- Giant boarfishGiant boarfishThe giant boarfish or common boarfish or sowfish, Paristiopterus labiosus, is an armorhead of the genus Paristiopterus, found in the eastern Indian Ocean, around southern Australia, and New Zealand.-References:...
or common boarfish or sowfish, Paristiopterus labiosus (Günther, 1872)
- Genus Pentaceropsis SteindachnerFranz SteindachnerFranz Steindachner was an Austrian zoologist.- Work and career :Being interested in natural history, Steindachner took up the study of fossil fishes on the recommendation of his friend Eduard Suess...
in SteindachnerFranz SteindachnerFranz Steindachner was an Austrian zoologist.- Work and career :Being interested in natural history, Steindachner took up the study of fossil fishes on the recommendation of his friend Eduard Suess...
and Döderlein, 1883- Longsnout boarfish, Pentaceropsis recurvirostris (RichardsonJohn Richardson (naturalist)Sir John Richardson was a Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer.Richardson was born at Dumfries. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and became a surgeon in the navy in 1807. He traveled with John Franklin in search of the Northwest Passage on the Coppermine Expedition of...
, 1845)
- Longsnout boarfish, Pentaceropsis recurvirostris (Richardson
- Genus Pentaceros CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
in CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
and ValenciennesAchille ValenciennesAchille Valenciennes was a French zoologist.Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. Valenciennes' study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology...
, 1829- Cape armourhead, Pentaceros capensis CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
in CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
and ValenciennesAchille ValenciennesAchille Valenciennes was a French zoologist.Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. Valenciennes' study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology...
, 1829 - Bigspined boarfish, Pentaceros decacanthus Günther, 1859
- Japanese armorheadJapanese armorheadThe Japanese armorhead or Japanese boarfish, Pentaceros japonicus, is an armorhead of the genus Pentaceros, found around Japan, southern Australia, and the North Island of New Zealand, at depths of between 200 and 650 m on the continental shelf...
or Japanese boarfish, Pentaceros japonicus SteindachnerFranz SteindachnerFranz Steindachner was an Austrian zoologist.- Work and career :Being interested in natural history, Steindachner took up the study of fossil fishes on the recommendation of his friend Eduard Suess...
, 1883 - Pentaceros quinquespinis Parin and Kotlyar, 1988
- Cape armourhead, Pentaceros capensis Cuvier
- Genus Pseudopentaceros BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1876- Pelagic armorheadPelagic armorheadThe pelagic armorhead, pelagic armourhead, Richardson's boarfish, or southern boarfish, Pseudopentaceros richardsoni, is an armorhead of the genus Pseudopentaceros, found in the north and south Pacific Ocean, South Africa, South America, and the South Island of New Zealand, from the surface to...
, Pelagic armourhead, Richardson's boarfish, Southern boarfish, Pseudopentaceros richardsoni (Smith, 1844) - Slender armorhead, Pseudopentaceros wheeleri Hardy, 1983
- Pelagic armorhead
- Genus Zanclistius JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
, 1907- Longfin boarfishLongfin boarfishThe longfin boarfish, Zaclistius elevatus, is an armorhead found around southern Australia and New Zealand, at depths of between . It is the only member of the genus Zaclistius...
, Zanclistius elevatus (Ramsay and OgilbyWilliam OgilbyWilliam Ogilby was an Irish barrister and naturalist.Ogilby was honorary secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1839 to 1846....
, 1888)
- Longfin boarfish