''Choridactylus'' 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 fishes 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 h ...

, it is one of two genera in the

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Choridactylini Choridactylini, commonly known as stingfishes, stingers or ghouls, is a tribe of venomous ray-finned fishes classified within the subfamily Synanceiinae, the stonefishes, part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. ...

, one of the three tribes which are 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 ...

Synanceiinae Synanceiinae is a subfamily of venomous ray-finned fishes, waspfishes, which is classified as part of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific oceans. They are primarily marine, ...

within 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 ...

Scorpaenidae The Scorpaenidae (also known as scorpionfish) are a family of mostly marine fish that includes many of the world's most venomous species. As their name suggests, scorpionfish have a type of "sting" in the form of sharp spines coated with venom ...

, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. They are commonly known as stingfishes. They are found in the Indo-West Pacific.

Taxonomy

''Choridactylus'' was first described as a genus in 1848 by the

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

naval surgeon,

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and naturalist John Richardson as a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus. Its only species was ''Choridactylus multibarbus'' which Richardson had also described in 1848 with its type locality given as the “Sea of China”. It is one of two genera in the tribe Choridactylini within the subfamily Synanceiinae of the family Scorpaenidae. However, some authorities classify this taxon as a subfamily Choridactylinae within the family Synanceiidae. The generic name is made up of ''choris'', meaning "separated", and ''dactylus'', which means "finger", and allusion to the detached

pectoral fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

rays of ''C. multibarbus'', a feature which “readily distinguished” it from other stonefishes known to Richardson.

Species

There are currently four recognized species in this genus: * '' Choridactylus lineatus'' Poss & Mee, 1995 (Lined stingfish) * '' Choridactylus multibarbus'' J. Richardson, 1848 (Orangebanded stingfish) * '' Choridactylus natalensis'' ( Gilchrist, 1902) (Threestick stingfish) * '' Choridactylus striatus''

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, 1993

Characteristics

''Choridactylus'' stingfishes have 12-15 spines and 8-10 soft rays in the

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through conv ...

with 2 spines and 8-10 soft rays in the

anal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

. The

s have 12 fin rays with the 3 lower rays being separated. They have small blunt heads with bulging eyes with an occipital depression. The mouth is small and slightly oblique with villiform teeth on the jaws with no

vomerine teeth The vomer (; lat, vomer, lit=ploughshare) is one of the unpaired facial bones of the skull. It is located in the midsagittal line, and articulates with the sphenoid, the ethmoid, the left and right palatine bones, and the left and right maxill ...

or palatine teeth. The body has small tentacles or skin flaps on the lower jaw, eye, spiny dorsal fin and spiny anal fin. There are tufts on the

lateral line The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelial ...

and upper body. These fishes vary in size from a

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...

of in ''C. multibarbus'' and ''C. natalensis'' to in ''C. lineatus''.

Distribution and habitat

''Choridactylus'' stingfishes are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, ''C. multibarbus'' is widespread reaching from Red Sea to the Philippines but the other three species are restricted to the western Indian Ocean. These fishes occur in shallow waters over sandy substrates.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2358149 Choridactylini Marine fish genera Taxa named by John Richardson (naturalist)