''Acanthocepola'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...

es belonging to the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Cepolidae the bandfishes. They are native to the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

and the western

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

Taxonomy

''Acanthocepola'' is classified within the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Cepolinae. The genus was first formally described in 1874 by the Dutch

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and ichthyologist

Pieter Bleeker Pieter Bleeker (10 July 1819 – 24 January 1878) was a Dutch medical doctor, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He was famous for the ''Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néêrlandaises'', his monumental work on the fishes of East Asia ...

who designated ''Cepola krusensternii'', which had been described by

Coenraad Jacob Temminck Coenraad Jacob Temminck (; 31 March 1778 – 30 January 1858) was a Dutch people, Dutch Aristocracy (class), aristocrat, Zoology, zoologist and museum director. Biography Coenraad Jacob Temminck was born on 31 March 1778 in Amsterdam in the Dut ...

Hermann Schlegel Hermann Schlegel (10 June 1804 – 17 January 1884) was a German ornithologist, herpetologist and ichthyologist. Early life and education Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimula ...

in 1845, as the type species, although the genus was also monotypic. The genus name, ''Acanthocepola'' is a compound of ''acanthus'' meaning "spine" and ''

Cepola ''Cepola'' is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the bandfish family, Cepolidae. The name red bandfish is applied to all members of this genus, but particularly ''C. macrophthalma'', and generally not ''C. australis'', which is al ...

'' the type genus of the family Cepolidae, a reference to the spines on the edge of the preoperculum.

Species

There are currently four recognized species in this genus: * '' Acanthocepola abbreviata'' (

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a s ...

, 1835) (Bandfish) * '' Acanthocepola indica'' ( F. Day, 1888) * '' Acanthocepola krusensternii'' (Temminck & Schlegel, 1845) (Red-spotted bandfish) * '' Acanthocepola limbata'' (Valenciennes, 1835) (Blackspot bandfish)

Characteristics

''Acanthocepola'' bandfishes are similar to ''Cepola'' bandfishes, in that they have the last ray of the dorsal and anal fins connected to the caudal fin by a membrane. The differences are that they have spines on the margin of the preoperculum and scales on their cheeks. The total length of these fishes vary from in ''A. abbreviata'' to in ''A. limbata''. They are normally pinkish or reddish in colour.

Distribution, habitat and biology

''Acanthocepola'' bandfishes are found in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans, from the coast of Eastern Africa east to the Western Central Pacific, north to Japan and south to Australia. They create burrows in flat areas of sand and mud substrates, feeding on zooplankton. They live as pairs hovering over their burrows, retreating to the burrow when alarmed. Juveniles can be found in small groups.

Fisheries

''Acanthocepola'' bandfishes are not targeted by fisheries but are caught as a

bycatch Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juve ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2618833 Cepolinae Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker