Zebrasoma
Zebrasoma velifer
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Tribe: Zebrasomini
Genus: Zebrasoma
Swainson, 1839
Type species
Acanthurus velifer
Bloch, 1795[1]
Species

7, see text

Synonyms[1]

Zebrasoma is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Taxonomy

Zebrasoma was first proposed as a monotypic subgenus of Acanthurus in 1839 by the English zoologist William John Swainson with Acanthurus velifer, which had been described by Marcus Elieser Bloch from India in 1795, as its only species.[1][2] The seven species within the genus form a number of apparent clades. The striped clade is probably the most basal and includes Z. desjardinii and Z. velifer, these two often being regarded as conspecific. Z. gemmatum is regarded as being on a monospecific clade between the basal striped clade and the others. The remaining two higher clades are species pairs, one made up of Z. flavescens and Z. scopas, and the other of Z. rostratum and Z. xanthurum.[3] The genera Zebrasoma and Paracanthurus make up the tribe Zebrasomini within the subfamily Acanthurinae in the family Acanthuridae, according to the 5th edition of Fishes of the World.[4]

Etymology

Zebrasoma combines soma, meaning "body", with zebra, referring to zebra stripes on the body of the type species, Z. velifer.[5]

Species

Zebrasoma currently has seven recognised species classified within it:[6]

Characteristics

Zebrasoma tangs have deep bodies and pointed snouts with high dorsal, supported by 4 or 5 spines and between 23 and 31 soft rays, and anal fins, supported by 3 spines and between 19 and 25 soft rays. The pectoral fins have between 14 and 17 fin rays while the pelvic fins have a single spine and 5 soft rays. The caudal fin is truncate.[7] The smallest species in the genus is the yellow tang (Z. flavescens) with a maximum published total length of 20 cm (7.9 in) while the largest species are Z. scopas and Z. velifer each with a maximum published standard length of 40 cm (16 in).[6]

Distribution

Zebrasoma tangs are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans including the Red Sea[7] east to the Pitcairn Islands[8] and Hawaii.[9]

Utilisation

Zebrasoma salifin tangs are regarded as desirable aquarium fish due to their adaptability, largely peaceful nature and feeding habits.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Acanthuridae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  2. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Zebrasoma". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Radu C. Guiasu and Richard Winterbottom (1993). "Osteological Evidence for the Phylogeny of Recent Genera of Surgeonfishes (Percomorpha, Acanthuridae)". Copeia. 1993 (2): 300–312. doi:10.2307/1447130.
  4. ↑ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.
  5. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 January 2021). "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 2): Families EPHIPPIDAE, LEIOGNATHIDAE, SCATOPHAGIDAE, ANTIGONIIDAE, SIGANIDAE, CAPROIDAE, LUVARIDAE, ZANCLIDAE and ACANTHURIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  6. 1 2 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2023). Species of Zebrasoma in FishBase. June 2023 version.
  7. 1 2 John E. Randall (2022). "Family Acanthuridae". In Phillip C Heemstra; Elaine Heemstra; David A Ebert; Wouter Holleman; John E Randall (eds.). Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean (PDF). Vol. 5. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. pp. 219–244. ISBN 978-1-990951-32-9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  8. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Zebrasoma rostratum" in FishBase. June 2023 version.
  9. 1 2 Bob Fenner. "The Sailfin Tangs, Surgeons, Doctorfishes, of the Genus Zebrasoma". WetWebMedia. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
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