''Astroscopus'', the electric stargazers, 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 stargazers, a type of percomorph fish from 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 ...

Uranoscopidae, part of the order

Trachiniformes Trachiniformes is an order of percomorph bony fish which is traditionally the suborder Trachinoidei of the Perciformes. However, the classification is also considered as a polyphyly by molecular phylogenies. Trachinidae itself is eventually ...

. The species in this genus are anatomically distinct Uranoscopids, being characterized by internal

nare A nostril (or naris , plural ''nares'' ) is either of the two orifices of the nose. They enable the entry and exit of air and other gasses through the nasal cavities. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turb ...

s and being the only group of marine

bony fish Osteichthyes (), popularly referred to as the bony fish, is a diverse superclass of fish that have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue. They can be contrasted with the Chondrichthyes, which have skeletons primarily composed of cartilag ...

having organs which produce electricity which are derived from the extraocular muscles. They are found on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the Americas.

Species

There are four extant and one extinct species included in ''Astroscopus'': * '' Astroscopus guttatus'' Abbott, 1860 - Northern stargazer * '' Astroscopus sexspinosus'' (Steindachner, 1876) * '' Astroscopus y-graecum'', (Cuvier, 1829) - Southern stargazer * '' Astroscopus zephyreus'' Gilbert & Starks in Gilbert, 1897 * †'' Astroscopus countermani'' Carnevale, Godfrey & Pietsch, 2011 Extinct species described from the

Tortonian The Tortonian is in the geologic time scale an age or stage of the late Miocene that spans the time between 11.608 ± 0.005 Ma and 7.246 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago). It follows the Serravallian and is followed by the Messinian. The Torton ...

deposits of Calvert Cliffs,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

References

Uranoscopidae {{Perciformes-stub