''Helicolenus'' 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 ...

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 ...

where they 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 ...

Sebastinae Sebastinae is a subfamily of marine fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae in the order Scorpaeniformes. Their common names include rockfishes, rock perches, ocean perches, sea perches, thornyheads, scorpionfishes, sea ruffes and rockcods. D ...

, the rockfishes. The species in this genus are found in the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

and

Pacific 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 ...

oceans.

Taxonomy

''Helicolenus'' was described by a genus in 1896 by the American ichthyologists

George Brown Goode George Brown Goode (February 13, 1851 – September 6, 1896), was an American ichthyologist and museum administrator. He graduated from Wesleyan University and studied at Harvard University. Early life and family George Brown Goode was born Febru ...

Tarleton Hoffman Bean Tarleton Hoffman Bean (October 8, 1846 – December 28, 1916) was an American ichthyologist. Biography and education Tarleton Hoffman Bean was born to George Bean and Mary Smith Bean in Bainbridge, Pennsylvania, on October 8, 1846. He attended ...

using ''Scorpaena dactyloptera'' as its

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

which had originally been described by the

Genevan , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...

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 ...

, naturalist,

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

and

ichthyologist Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish ( Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 33,400 species of fish had been described as of Octobe ...

François Étienne Delaroche in 1809. The genus name is a compound of ''helikos'' which means "twisted" or "curved" but meaning "strong" according to Goode and Bean, possibly in error for ''hadros''; and ''oleni'' meaning "elbow" or "arm", an allusion to the “strong pectoral fins” of ''H. dactylopterus''.

Species

There are 9 recognised species: * '' Helicolenus avius'' T. Abe & Eschmeyer, 1972 * '' Helicolenus barathri'' (

Hector In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

, 1875) (bigeye sea perch, Offshore ocean perch, bigeye ocean perch) * ''

Helicolenus dactylopterus ''Helicolenus dactylopterus'', blackbelly rosefish, bluemouth rockfish, and bluemouth seaperch, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Sebastinae which is classified within the family Scorpaenidae. This Atlantic spec ...

'' ( Delaroche, 1809) (blackbelly rosefish) * '' Helicolenus fedorovi'' Barsukov, 1973 * ''

Helicolenus hilgendorfii ''Helicolenus hilgendorfii'', Hilgendorf's saucord, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Sebastinae, part of the family Scorpaenidae. It is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Taxonomy ''Helicolenus hilgendorfi ...

'' ( Döderlein ( de), 1884) (Hilgendorf's saucord) * '' Helicolenus lahillei''

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

, 1937 * '' Helicolenus lengerichi''

, 1937 * '' Helicolenus mouchezi'' ( Sauvage, 1875) * '' Helicolenus percoides'' ( J. Richardson & Solander, 1842) (red gurnard perch, Inshore ocean perch, reef ocean perch, jock stewart)

Characteristics

''Helicolenus'' fishes have a large head which bears spiny ridges and has a large mouth. There are 5 spines on the posterior and lower margin of the preoperculum and two obvious spines close to the posterior of the operculum. Their

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 ...

s have 11-13 robust spines and 10 to 14 soft rays. Species in this genius vary in length from a

standard 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 m ...

of in ''H. fedorovi'' and ''H. hilgendorfii'' up to 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 ''H. dactylopterus''.

Distribution and habitat

''Helicolenus'' rockfishes are found in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. They are benthic, demersal and bathydemersal fishes.

Biology

''Helicolenus'' rockfishes are ovoviviparous and fertilisation is internal. They are predators of cephalopods, echinoderms, crustaceans and fishes. They have been known to live for up to 42 years.

Fisheries

''Helicolenus'' rockfishes are commercially important species in fisheries in some regions such as southern Australia.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1764110 Sebastini Marine fish genera Taxa named by George Brown Goode Taxa named by Tarleton Hoffman Bean