Emmelichthyops atlanticus

For a list of fishes also known as 'bonnetmouth', see Bonnetmouth.
Emmelichthyops atlanticus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Haemulidae
Genus: Emmelichthyops
L. P. Schultz, 1945
Species: E. atlanticus
Binomial name
Emmelichthyops atlanticus
L. P. Schultz, 1945

Emmelichthyops atlanticus, the bonnetmouth, is a marine fish species of grunt native to the western Atlantic Ocean, where it is occurs from Florida and the Bahamas to northern South America. This species is the only known member of its genus.[1]

Description

The bonnetmouth has a cigar-shaped body and can grow to 13 cm (5.1 in) in total length.[1] Bonnetmouths are generally yellowish gray, with some blue anteriorly, with silvery-white on the sides.[2] Adults also have four brown stripes on the upper halves (one mid-dorsal) of their bodies, while juveniles have only three.[2] These stripes are usually more evident anteriorly; they become more faded near the tail.[2]

Distribution and habitat

Found only in the western Atlantic Ocean, bonnetmouths can be seen from southern Florida and the Bahamas to northern South America. They can be captured most often near the Florida Keys, US Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas.[3] In fact, the type specimens were both collected off the Bahamas' Cat Island.[3] They are generally associated with reefs[4] and can be found over coral heads in small groups.[5] Bonnetmouths can be found at depths from 3–90 m, but mainly occur in schools at about 64 m.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Emmelichthyops atlanticus" in FishBase. August 2013 version.
  2. 1 2 3 Randall, John E. Caribbean Reef Fishes. 1968, Jersey City, New Jersey, T.H.F. Publications. 93
  3. 1 2 Bohlke, James E. Charles C. G. Chaplin. Fishes of the Bahamas and Adjacent Tropical Waters. 2nd edition. Austin, UP of Texas. 304.
  4. Riede, K. 2004 Global register of migratory species - from global to regional scales. Final Report of the R&D-Projekt 808 05 081. Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Bonn, Germany. 329 p.
  5. Lieske, E. and R. Myers 1994 Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
  6. Smith, C.L. 1997 National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.

External links

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