Haemulon vittatum
{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Haemulon vittatum.jpg
| image_caption = A shoal of boga off the coast of Cuba.
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| taxon = Haemulon vittatum
| authority = (Poey, 1860)
| synonyms =
- Inermia vittata Poey, 1860
- Haemulon vittata (Poey, 1860)
| synonyms_ref = {{Fishbase|Haemulon|vittatum|month=December|year=2019}}
}}
Haemulon vittatum, the boga, is an ocean-going species of grunt native to the western Atlantic Ocean. Bogas are also known as the snit in Jamaica, and bonnetmouth in the Bahamas. It was first described by Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey. This species used to be classified as Inermia vittata, but genetic data revealed that it belongs to the genus Haemulon.{{Cite journal|last1=Rocha|first1=Luiz A.|last2=Lindeman|first2=Kenyon C.|last3=Rocha|first3=Claudia R.|last4=Lessios|first4=H. A.|date=2008-09-01|title=Historical biogeography and speciation in the reef fish genus Haemulon (Teleostei: Haemulidae)|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790308002698|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|language=en|volume=48|issue=3|pages=918–928|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2008.05.024|pmid=18599320 |bibcode=2008MolPE..48..918R |issn=1055-7903}}
Description
File:Boga (Haemulon vittatum) at cleaning station.jpg
Haemulon vittatum is a spindle-shaped fish. It has a deeply forked caudal fin, and its two dorsal fins are close together. It is also able to protrude its mouth much further than many fishes,Randall, J.E. 1996 Caribbean reef fishes. Third edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3rd ed. 368 p. hence the name bonnetmouth. They usually have 14-15 spines on their dorsal fins, but only 10 soft rays. They have two spines and 9 rays on their anal fins, as well.{{FishBase_species|genus=Inermia |species=vittata|year=2009|month=08}} The longest recorded Boga was 23 cm in lengthClaro, R. 1994 Características generales de la ictiofauna. p. 55-70. In R. Claro (ed.) Ecología de los peces marinos de Cuba. Instituto de Oceanología Academia de Ciencias de Cuba and Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo.
The boga’s life colors are generally greenish above, and blueish-white below. A greenish stripe, tinged with yellow, can be seen from the eye to the tail. Three similar stripes are on the back. The snout and dorsal fins are both yellowish or pale yellow, while the caudal fin is dusky violet. The pectoral fins are both rosy, and the anal and ventral fins are both white.Bohlke, James E. Charles C. G. Chaplin. Fishes of the Bahamas and Adjacent Tropical Waters. 2nd edition. Austin, UP of Texas. 305.
Distribution and habitat
Haemulon vittatum is only known from the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida and the Bahamas south to northern South America, including the Antilles and the Caribbean.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.
Occurring in open water,Lieske, E. and R. Myers 1994 Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Harper Collins Publishers, 400 p. Bogas are sometimes found near coasts or over reefsCervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez 1992 Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD. they can mainly be found off of oceanic islands, where they feed on zooplankton and smaller fishes. Bogas are occasionally sold fresh, and used as baitfish; they are known to be preyed upon by the red hind (Epinephelus guttatus), a member of the grouper family.Randall, J.E. 1967 Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5: 665-847
Systematics
Haemolon vittatum was first formally described as Inermia vittata in 1860 by the Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey (1799-1891) with the type locality given as Havana.{{Cof genus|genus=Haemulon|access-date=1 April 2021}} The specific name vittatum means "banded", which is assumed to refer to the wide greenish stripe running from the eye to the base of caudal fin and the 3-4 brownish stripes above it.{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/lutjaniformes/ | title = Order LUTJANIFORMES: Families HAEMULIDAE and LUTJANIDAE | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | editor1 = Christopher Scharpf | editor2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | date = 5 January 2021 | accessdate = 1 April 2021 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara | archive-date = 12 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210412135037/https://etyfish.org/lutjaniformes/ | url-status = dead }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{sealifephotos|1021254}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q14025226}}
Category:Fauna of the Southeastern United States