Pontinus
{{Short description|Genus of fishes}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = Early Oligocene to Present{{cite journal
| last = Sepkoski
| first = Jack
| author-link =
| title = A compendium of fossil marine animal genera
| journal = Bulletins of American Paleontology
| volume = 364
| issue =
|page=560
| year = 2002
| url = http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class
| doi =
| id =
| access-date = 2007-12-25 }}
| image = Pontinus nematophthalmus.jpg
| image_caption = Spinythroat scorpionfish (P. nematophthalmus)
| taxon = Pontinus
| authority = Poey, 1860
| type_species = Pontinus castor
| type_species_authority = Poey, 1860{{Cof family | family = Scorpaenidae | access-date = 22 January 2022}}
| synonyms = * Crossoscorpaena Fowler, 1938
}}
Pontinus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. The scorpionfishes in this genus are distributed in the tropical and warm temperate parts Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Taxonomy
Pontinus was first described as a genus in 1860 by the Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey y Aloy when he was describing the longsnout scorpionfish (P. castor) which he had collected at Havana, as this species was the only species Poey definitely placed within the new genus it is its type species by monotypy.{{Cof genus | genus = Pontinus | access-date = 22 January 2022}} The genus name from is derived from pontis, meaning "bridge", an allusion to the suborbital stay, or ridge, which is found in all the species in the subfamily Scorpaeninae.{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/perciformes9/ | title = Order Perciformes (Part 9): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Family Scorpaenidae | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | editor1= Christopher Scharpf | editor2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp |date = 2 October 2021 | access-date = 18 January 2022 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara}}
Species
There are currently 19 recognized species in this genus:{{FishBase genus | genus = Pontinus| month = August | year = 2021}}
- Pontinus accraensis Norman, 1935 (Ghanean rockfish)
- Pontinus castor Poey, 1860 (Longsnout scorpionfish)
- Pontinus clemensi Fitch, 1955 (Mottled scorpionfish)
- Pontinus corallinus A. Miranda-Ribeiro, 1903
- Pontinus furcirhinus Garman, 1899
- Pontinus helena Eschmeyer, 1965
- Pontinus kuhlii (S. Bowdich, 1825) (Offshore rockfish)
- Pontinus leda Eschmeyer, 1969 (Speckled deepwater scorpionfish)
- Pontinus longispinis Goode & T. H. Bean, 1896 (Longspine scorpionfish)
- Pontinus macrocephalus (Sauvage, 1882) (Large-headed scorpionfish)
- Pontinus nematophthalmus (Günther, 1860) (Spinythroat scorpionfish)
- Pontinus nigerimum Eschmeyer, 1983 (Blacklash scorpionfish)
- Pontinus nigropunctatus (Günther, 1868) (St. Helena deepwater scorpionfish)
- Pontinus rathbuni Goode & T. H. Bean, 1896 (Highfin scorpionfish)
- Pontinus rhodochrous (Günther, 1872)
- Pontinus sierra (C. H. Gilbert, 1890) (Speckled scorpionfish)
- Pontinus strigatus Heller & Snodgrass, 1903 (Stalkeye scorpionfish)
- Pontinus tentacularis (Fowler, 1938)
- Pontinus vaughani Barnhart & C. L. Hubbs, 1946 (Spotback scorpionfish)
Characteristics
Pontinus scorpionfishes have very bony heads{{cite web | url = https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/sftep/en/thefishes/taxon/1004 | title =Genus: Pontinus, Scorpionfishes | access-date = 22 January 2022 | work = Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system | publisher = Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute}} The head has 2 preorbital spines over the maxillary, 3-4 spines on the suborbital ridge although the first spine on the preorbital bone is frequently absent. There is a supplemental preopercular spine and the uppermost preopercular spine is the longest with the second preopercular spine being often absent, then the third and fourth are present but the 5th may be present or absent. They have both vomerine teeth and paltine teeth. The dorsal fin contains 12 spines and 9-10 sot rays while the anal-fin has 3 spines and 5 soft rays with the rearmost ray deeply split. There are 15-20 unbranched fin rays in the pectoral fin. They have a swimbladder The scales on the body are ctenoid and the cheek, postorbital area and top of head are all scaled. They do not have an occipital pit.{{cite web | author = Bray, D.J. | year = 2019 | title = Pontinus | work = Fishes of Australia | access-date = 22 January 2022 | url = https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/genus/1793 | publisher = Museums Victoria}} These scorpionfishes vary in size from a total length of {{cvt|14|cm}} in the spinythroat scorpionfish (P. nematophthalmus) to {{cvt|54.9|cm}} in the mottled spinefish (P. clemensi).
Distribution and habitat
Pontinus scorpionfishes are found in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Indian and Pacific Oceans. These are demersal fishes.
References
{{Reflist}}
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{{Authority control}}
Category:Extant Rupelian first appearances