''Thysanophrys'' is a genus of

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

demersal The demersal zone is the part of the sea or ocean (or deep lake) consisting of the part of the water column near to (and significantly affected by) the seabed and the benthos. The demersal zone is just above the benthic zone and forms a layer of ...

ray-finned fish belonging to the family

Platycephalidae The Platycephalidae are a family of marine fish, most commonly referred to as flatheads. They are relatives of the popular lionfish, belonging to the order Scorpaeniformes. Taxonomy Platycephalidae was first proposed as a family in 1839 by the E ...

. These fishes are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Taxonomy

''Thysanophrys'' was first formally proposed as a genus in 1898 by the Australian

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 ...

James Douglas Ogilby with ''Platycephalus cirronasus'', which had been described from Botany Bay in New South Wales in 1848 by John Richardson, as its type species. This genus is

classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper *The Classified, a 1980s American roc ...

within the family Playtcephalidae, the flatheads which the 5th edition of ''

Fishes of the World ''Fishes of the World'' by the American ichthyologist Joseph S. Nelson (1937–2011) is a standard reference for fish systematics. Now in its fifth edition (2016), the work is a comprehensive overview of the diversity and classification of the ...

'' classifies within the

suborder Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...

Platycephaloidei in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Scorpaeniformes.

Etymology

''Thysanophrys'' is a combination of ''thysanos'', meaning "fringe", and ''ophrys'', which means "eyebrow", an allusion to the series of dermal appendages above the eye of ''T. cirronasus''.

Species

''Thysanophrys'' contains 10 species: * ''

Thysanophrys armata ''Thysanophrys armata'' is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae The Platycephalidae are a family of marine fish, most commonly referred to as flatheads. They are relatives of the popular lionfish, belongi ...

'' ( Fowler, 1938) * ''

Thysanophrys celebica ''Thysanophrys'' is a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. Taxonomy ''Thysanophrys'' was first formally proposed as a genus ...

'' (

Bleeker Bleeker is a Dutch occupational surname. Bleeker is an old spelling of ''(linnen)bleker'' ("linen bleacher").Thysanophrys chiltonae ''Thysanophrys'' is a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. Taxonomy ''Thysanophrys'' was first formally proposed as a genus ...

'' L. P. Schultz, 1966 (Longsnout flathead) * ''

Thysanophrys cirronasa ''Thysanophrys'' is a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. Taxonomy ''Thysanophrys'' was first formally proposed as a genus ...

'' ( J. Richardson, 1848) (Tasselsnout flathead) * ''

Thysanophrys longirostris ''Thysanophrys'' is a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. Taxonomy ''Thysanophrys'' was first formally proposed as a genus ...

'' ( K. T. Shao & J. P. Chen, 1987) * '' Thysanophrys papillaris'' Imamura & L. W. Knapp, 1999 (Smallknob flathead) * '' Thysanophrys randalli'' L. W. Knapp, 2013 (Snub-snouted flathead) * '' Thysanophrys rarita'' L. W. Knapp, 2013, (Somali flathead) * '' Thysanophrys springeri'' L. W. Knapp, 2013, (Red Sea flathead) * '' Thysanophrys tricaudata'' L. W. Knapp, 2013 (Sri Lankan flathead)

Characteristics

''Thysanophrys'' flatheads do noy have any elongation of the upper lobe of the caudal fin with no elongated filament extending out from that fin. The first dorsal fin has between 8 or 9 spines. the second being equal in height to the third, while the second dorsal fin has no more than 12 soft rays. There are 2 separate patches of vomerine teeth. There are between 48 and 56 pored scales, each with 2 pores, 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 ...

with spines on the scales in the anterior portion of that line. The diagonal rows of scales run downwards and backwards over lateral line and the number of these rows is roughly about equal to the number of scales in the lateral line, typically with a difference of only 1 or 2 scales. The head has bony ridges that have a few larger spines below the eye, the head has two bony ridges on its side swith the lower margin of the suborbital ridge being visible. The lappet on the iris may be

crenate A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...

or have short branches. Typically there is a single spine in front of the eye and 3 or less spines on the

preoperculum This glossary of ichthyology is a list of definitions of terms and concepts used in ichthyology, the study of fishes. A B C ...

, with the upper spine clearly being the longest, although it does not reach the edge of the operculum, and the lower spine on the operculum has its base hidden by scales. The maximum length attained by these fishes varies 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 ''T. randalli'' to a maximum total length of in ''T. chiltonae''.

Distribution

''Thysanophrys'' flatheads are found in the Indo-West Pacific where they occur from east Africa and the Red Sea east to Marquesas.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2751233 Platycephalidae