Albula virgata
{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| image =
| status = DD
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Albula
| species = virgata
| authority = D.S. Jordan & E.K. Jordan, 1922
}}
Albula virgata{{FishBase |genus=Albula |species=virgata}}
is a species of bonefish found in the Hawaiian Islands. It is known commonly as the longjaw bonefish or
The name 'ō'io may refer to other species of bonefish in Hawaii, such as the roundjaw/shortjaw bonefish Albula glossodonta, and the sharpjaw bonefish Albula argentea.
Taxonomy and nomenclature
Bonefish were once believed to be a single species with a global distribution, however 11 different species have since been identified.{{cite web |last1=Suescun |first1=Alex |title=All About Bonefish |url=https://www.saltwatersportsman.com/species/fish-species/all-about-bonefish/ |website=saltwatersportsman.com |date=24 December 2014 |publisher=Salt Water Sportsman |access-date=10 December 2020}}{{Cite web |title=Fish Identification |url=https://www.fishbase.org/identification/SpeciesList.php?genus=Albula |access-date=2025-05-08 |website=www.fishbase.org}}
Albula virgata was first described by the American ichthyologist David Starr Jordan and his son Edward Knight Jordan in 1922. It has a somewhat convoluted nomenclatural history. It was originally named Esox argenteus,Bloch, M. E. and J. G. Schneider 1801 M. E. Blochii, Systema Ichthyologiae Iconibus cx Ilustratum. Post obitum auctoris opus inchoatum absolvit, correxit, interpolavit Jo. Gottlob Schneider, Saxo. Berolini. Sumtibus Auctoris Impressum et Bibliopolio Sanderiano Commissum. i-lx + 1-584, Pls. 1-110. but that name was already in use for the giant kokopu, and it was later renamed Albula forsteri.Cuvier, G. and A. Valenciennes 1847. Histoire naturelle des poissons. Tome dix-neuvième. Suite du livre dix-neuvième. Brochets ou Lucioïdes. Livre vingtième. De quelques familles de Malacoptérygiens, intermédiaires entre les Brochets et les Clupes. P. Bertrand, Paris. v. 19: i-xix + 1-544 + 6 pp., Pls. 554-590 However, Forster's taxon is in a genus different than the giant kokopu, and thus Forster's name still stands.Hidaka, K., Y. Iwatsuki and J.E. Randall, 2008. A review of the Indo-Pacific bonefishes of the Albula argentea complex, with a description of a new species. Ichthyol. Res. 55:53-64.
For decades, Albula virgata was considered a synonym of either Albula vulpes or Albula argentea.Whitehead PJP (1986) The synonymy of Albula vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) (Teleostei, Albulidae). Cybium 10:211–230Randall JE, Bauchot ML (1999) Clarification of the two Indo-Pacific species of bonefishes, Albula glossodonta and A. forsteri. Cybium 23:79–83 It was eventually recognized as a species distinct from Albula argentea.Hidaka, K., Y. Iwatsuki and J.E. Randall, 2008. A review of the Indo-Pacific bonefishes of the Albula argentea complex, with a description of a new species. Ichthyol. Res. 55:53-64.
Description
Albula virgata is similar to A. argentea and A. oligolepis in length of the upper jaw, but differs in having fewer vertebrae and lateral-line scales, as well as having the tip of pelvic fin
reaching beyond anterior edge of anus. Like other bonefish, they have an elongated, silvery white body, with large scales.
Distribution and habitat
Albula virgata is known only from the Hawaiian Islands. They are thought to be restricted to shallow sand flats, which are a rare and fragmented habitat type in the Hawaiian Islands.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1937343}}
Category:Endemic fauna of Hawaii
Category:Taxa named by David Starr Jordan
Category:Fish described in 1922
{{Albuliformes-stub}}