Parascolopsis townsendi

Parascolopsis townsendi
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Acanthuriformes
Family:	Nemipteridae
Genus:	Parascolopsis
Species:	P. townsendi
Binomial name
	Parascolopsis townsendi; Boulenger, 1901
Synonyms
	Scolopsis townsendi (Boulenger, 1901);

Parascolopsis townsendi, the scaly dwarf monocle bream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the family Nemipteridae, the threadfin breams. It is found in the western Indian Ocean.

Taxonomy

Parascolopsis townsendi was first formally described in 1901 as the only species in the monospecific genus Parascolopsis by the Belgian-born British ichthyologist George Albert Boulenger.^[3] It is, therefore, the type species of the genus Parascolopsis by monotypy.^[4] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Parascolopsis within the family Nemipteridae which it places in the order Spariformes.^[5]

Etymology

Parascolopsis townsendi is named in honour of Captain Frederick William Townsend (d. 1948), the Commander of the Indian Cable-Ship Patrick Stewart, who collected many specimens of fishes and molluscs while laying cables in the Persian Gulf, including the type specimen of this species.^[6]

Description

Parascolopsis townsendi has its dorsal fin supported by 10 spines and 9 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 7 soft rays.^[2] The depth of this fish's body fits into its standard length between 2.4 and 2.7 times. The snout is typically shorter than the diameter of the eye. The scales on the head extend as far as the rear nostril. The posterior edge of the preoperculum has a slightly backwards slope and a scaled lower limb. The suborbital is scaly with a finely serrated rear edge and no spine at its upper angle. The pectoral fin is long reaching the origin of the anal fin while the pelvic fin is also long reaching as far as or just falling short of the level of the anus. The body has an overall colour of this species is reddish with a silvery stripe along the flanks.^[7] This species has a maximum published standard length of 20 cm (7.9 in), although 10 cm (3.9 in) is more typical^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Parascolopsis townsendi is found in the Western Indian Ocean in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea,^[7] as far east as Palistan.^[1] It is a demersal fish found in offshore waters at depths between 100 and 410 m (330 and 1,350 ft) om sandy and muddy substrates.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b Al Abdali, F.S.H.; Al Buwaiqi, B.; Al Kindi, A.S.M.; et al. (2019). "Parascolopsis townsendi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T123440780A123494922. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T123440780A123494922.en. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Parascolopsis townsendi". FishBase. October 2023 version.
^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Parascolopsis". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Nemipteridae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
^ Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 502–506. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN 2015037522. OCLC 951899884. OL 25909650M.
^ "Order SPARIFORMES: Families LETHRINIDAE, NEMIPTERIDAE and SPARIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
^ ^a ^b Barry C. Russell (2022). "Family Nemipteridae". In Phillip C Heemstra; Elaine Heemstra; David A Ebert; Wouter Holleman; John E Randall (eds.). Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean (PDF). Vol. 3. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. pp. 328–340. ISBN 978-1-990951-32-9.

Russell, B.C., 1990. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 12. Nemipterid fishes of the world. (Threadfin breams, whiptail breams, monocle breams, dwarf monocle breams, and coral breams). Family Nemipteridae. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of nemipterid species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(12):149p. Rome: FAO

[iucn-1] Al Abdali, F.S.H.; Al Buwaiqi, B.; Al Kindi, A.S.M.; et al. (2019). "Parascolopsis townsendi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T123440780A123494922. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T123440780A123494922.en. Retrieved 16 November 2023.

[Fishbase-2] Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Parascolopsis townsendi". FishBase. October 2023 version.

[CofF-3] Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Parascolopsis". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 16 November 2023.

[CofF2-4] Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Nemipteridae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 16 November 2023.

[Nelson5-5] Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 502–506. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN 2015037522. OCLC 951899884. OL 25909650M.

[ETYFish-6] "Order SPARIFORMES: Families LETHRINIDAE, NEMIPTERIDAE and SPARIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2023.

[WIOF-7] Barry C. Russell (2022). "Family Nemipteridae". In Phillip C Heemstra; Elaine Heemstra; David A Ebert; Wouter Holleman; John E Randall (eds.). Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean (PDF). Vol. 3. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. pp. 328–340. ISBN 978-1-990951-32-9.

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