SIPHAMIA FUSCOLINEATA - (LACHNER, 1953)
Picture courtesy of: Alain Daoulas
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Apogonoidei (Suborder) > Apogonidae (Family) > Apogoninae (Subfamily) > Siphamia (Genus)
Brown-striped siphonfish, Crown-of-thorns cardinal, Crown-of-thorns cardinalfish, 大面侧仔, 棕線管竺鯛,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): I, 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 8. Pectoral fin rays: 14-15 (rarely: 13); Tubed lateral-line scales: 20-24; Lateral line scales: 11-16; Median predorsal scales: 4-5; Total gill rakers: 2-4 + 8-11= 11-15; Developed gill rakers: 1-2 + 8-9; Gill rakers on ceratobranchial: 7-8. Body depth: 2.4-2.8 in SL and body width 1.9-2.4 in the depth; Eye diameter: 2.85-3.1 in head length; First dorsal spine: 2.9-4.1 in second spine; Second dorsal spine: 5.35-6.65, spine of second dorsal fin: 4.1-4.6, and second anal spine: 5.5-7.2, all in head length; Pectoral fin length: 4.5-5.3 and pelvic fin length: 4.3-4.7 in SL; Caudal peduncle length: 1.5-1.7 in distance between pelvic spine insertion and anal fin origin. Preopercular edge with 16-29 small serrations; Preopercular ridge smooth. Scales mostly weakly spinoid, but some cycloid ones may be present anteriorly on body. Vomer with a single and palatines with 1-2 series of minute teeth. Light organ: 1.3-2.3 in caudal peduncle length and its tip on each side of tongue bound by membrane. Max. length: 4.0 cm SL. Depth range: 6 - 50 m, usually: 6 - 27 m
Color
Body brown with numerous dark brown dots; When expanded the melanophores frequently form whole or part of three dark stripes; The first stripe runs from above eye to end of second dorsal fin base, the second from lateral line origin to upper part of caudal peduncle, and the third from above pectoral fin base to ventral part of caudal peduncle; Fins pale, but base of pelvic fin dark brown; Peritoneum with dense dark brown dots; Intestine and stomach with smaller dark dots.
Etymology
Siphamia: from Ancient Greek, síphōn = pipe, tube, siphon + from Greek, amia, -as = a kind of bonito. Name given by Aristotle to a fish (Later name applied to Apogon by Gronow (1763), now a commonly used suffix in the family). Referring to silvery dusky tubiform gland of Siphamia tubifer (Weber, 1909), running from beneath tongue, along lower sides of body, past vent, almost to caudal-fin base (later discovered to be bioluminescent).
fuscolineata: from Latin, fuscus = dark, dim, dimly lit, black, brown + from Latin, lineatus, a, um = lined. Referring to dark brown stripes on body.
Original description: Siphamia fuscolineata Lachner, 1953 - Type locality: Bikini Lagoon, south of Bikini Island, Marshall Islands.
Distribution
Western Pacific: Philippines, east to Marshall Islands and Line Islands, south to New Caledonia, north to southern Japan.
Biology
A rare species found in lagoons, among the spines of Acanthaster planci and sea urchins, in groups of up to 31. Distinct pairing during courtship and spawning.
Similar species
Siphamia fraseri (Gon & Allen, 2012) - Reported from New Caledonia. It has six spines in the first dorsal fin, and has fewer gill rakers and tubed lateral line scales.
Siphamia majimai (Matsubara & Iwai, 1958) - Reported from Western Pacific: Philippines, North to Japan. It has six spines in the first dorsal fin, and has fewer gill rakers and tubed lateral line scales.
Siphamia spinicola (Gon & Allen, 2012) - Reported from Chesterfield Islands (New Caledonia). It has a modally higher number of tubed lateral line scales and a slightly longer light organ (caudal peduncle length: 1.2-1.5).
Siphamia tubifer (Weber, 1909) - Reported from Western Pacific: Indonesia, east to Philippines and New Ireland (Papua New Guinea), north to Ryukyu Islands and Kagoshima Prefecture (southern Japan), south to New South Wales (Australia) and Vanuatu. It has six spines in the first dorsal fin, and has fewer gill rakers and tubed lateral line scales.
Siphamia versicolor (Smith & Radcliffe, 1911) - Reported from Western Pacific: Caroline Islands north to Japan.
Last update: 15, July 2024
Brown-striped siphonfish, Crown-of-thorns cardinal, Crown-of-thorns cardinalfish, 大面侧仔, 棕線管竺鯛,
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): I, 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 8. Pectoral fin rays: 14-15 (rarely: 13); Tubed lateral-line scales: 20-24; Lateral line scales: 11-16; Median predorsal scales: 4-5; Total gill rakers: 2-4 + 8-11= 11-15; Developed gill rakers: 1-2 + 8-9; Gill rakers on ceratobranchial: 7-8. Body depth: 2.4-2.8 in SL and body width 1.9-2.4 in the depth; Eye diameter: 2.85-3.1 in head length; First dorsal spine: 2.9-4.1 in second spine; Second dorsal spine: 5.35-6.65, spine of second dorsal fin: 4.1-4.6, and second anal spine: 5.5-7.2, all in head length; Pectoral fin length: 4.5-5.3 and pelvic fin length: 4.3-4.7 in SL; Caudal peduncle length: 1.5-1.7 in distance between pelvic spine insertion and anal fin origin. Preopercular edge with 16-29 small serrations; Preopercular ridge smooth. Scales mostly weakly spinoid, but some cycloid ones may be present anteriorly on body. Vomer with a single and palatines with 1-2 series of minute teeth. Light organ: 1.3-2.3 in caudal peduncle length and its tip on each side of tongue bound by membrane. Max. length: 4.0 cm SL. Depth range: 6 - 50 m, usually: 6 - 27 m
Color
Body brown with numerous dark brown dots; When expanded the melanophores frequently form whole or part of three dark stripes; The first stripe runs from above eye to end of second dorsal fin base, the second from lateral line origin to upper part of caudal peduncle, and the third from above pectoral fin base to ventral part of caudal peduncle; Fins pale, but base of pelvic fin dark brown; Peritoneum with dense dark brown dots; Intestine and stomach with smaller dark dots.
Etymology
Siphamia: from Ancient Greek, síphōn = pipe, tube, siphon + from Greek, amia, -as = a kind of bonito. Name given by Aristotle to a fish (Later name applied to Apogon by Gronow (1763), now a commonly used suffix in the family). Referring to silvery dusky tubiform gland of Siphamia tubifer (Weber, 1909), running from beneath tongue, along lower sides of body, past vent, almost to caudal-fin base (later discovered to be bioluminescent).
fuscolineata: from Latin, fuscus = dark, dim, dimly lit, black, brown + from Latin, lineatus, a, um = lined. Referring to dark brown stripes on body.
Original description: Siphamia fuscolineata Lachner, 1953 - Type locality: Bikini Lagoon, south of Bikini Island, Marshall Islands.
Distribution
Western Pacific: Philippines, east to Marshall Islands and Line Islands, south to New Caledonia, north to southern Japan.
Biology
A rare species found in lagoons, among the spines of Acanthaster planci and sea urchins, in groups of up to 31. Distinct pairing during courtship and spawning.
Similar species
Siphamia fraseri (Gon & Allen, 2012) - Reported from New Caledonia. It has six spines in the first dorsal fin, and has fewer gill rakers and tubed lateral line scales.
Siphamia majimai (Matsubara & Iwai, 1958) - Reported from Western Pacific: Philippines, North to Japan. It has six spines in the first dorsal fin, and has fewer gill rakers and tubed lateral line scales.
Siphamia spinicola (Gon & Allen, 2012) - Reported from Chesterfield Islands (New Caledonia). It has a modally higher number of tubed lateral line scales and a slightly longer light organ (caudal peduncle length: 1.2-1.5).
Siphamia tubifer (Weber, 1909) - Reported from Western Pacific: Indonesia, east to Philippines and New Ireland (Papua New Guinea), north to Ryukyu Islands and Kagoshima Prefecture (southern Japan), south to New South Wales (Australia) and Vanuatu. It has six spines in the first dorsal fin, and has fewer gill rakers and tubed lateral line scales.
Siphamia versicolor (Smith & Radcliffe, 1911) - Reported from Western Pacific: Caroline Islands north to Japan.
Last update: 15, July 2024