''Brama'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...

es from the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Bramidae, the

pomfret Pomfrets are scombriform fish belonging to the family Bramidae. The family currently includes 20 species across seven genera. Several species are important food sources for humans, especially ''Brama brama'' in South Asia. The earlier form of ...

s. Currently, there are 8 species within the genus (see below).

Characteristics

The species in the genus ''Brama'' have a compressed head and body shaped in an tapering oval with a thin caudal peduncle. The dorsal and ventral profiles of the head are convex and it has a bluntly rounded short snout. The mouth is obviously oblique with the lower jaw projecting. They have a single

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...

, it and the

anal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported o ...

are long based. The dorsal fin starts above the base of the

pectoral fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish aquatic locomotion, swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the vertebral column ...

and both it and the anal fin are similar in shape, although the dorsal fin has an obvious lobe at its anterior end. The pectoral fin is positioned low on the body and is relatively long, extending to the centre of the anal fin. The small

pelvic fin Pelvic fins or ventral fins are paired fins located on the ventral (belly) surface of fish, and are the lower of the only two sets of paired fins (the other being the laterally positioned pectoral fins). The pelvic fins are homologous to the hi ...

s are placed below the base of the pectoral fins. The

caudal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only ...

is highly concave. The body and most of the head are covered in keeled scales while the scales on the belly are not scaled.

Taxonomy

''Brama'' was named as a genus in 1801 by the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

naturalists Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799) and Johann Gottlob Schneider (1750-1822). In 1823

Bory de Saint-Vincent Jean-Baptiste Geneviève Marcellin Bory de Saint-Vincent was a French naturalist, officer and politician. He was born on 6 July 1778 in Agen (Lot-et-Garonne) and died on 22 December 1846 in Paris. Biologist and geographer, he was particularly int ...

designated Bloch's ''Sparus raii'' as its

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, 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 spe ...

Species

Eight recognized species are in this genus: * '' Brama australis''

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...

, 1838 (southern Ray's bream) * '' Brama brama'' ( Bonnaterre, 1788) (Atlantic pomfret) * '' Brama caribbea''

Mead Mead (), also called honey wine, and hydromel (particularly when low in alcohol content), is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alco ...

, 1972 (Caribbean pomfret) * '' Brama dussumieri'' G. Cuvier, 1831 (lesser bream) * '' Brama japonica'' Hilgendorf, 1878 (Pacific pomfret) * '' Brama myersi''

, 1972 (Myers' pomfret) * '' Brama orcini'' G. Cuvier, 1831 (bigtooth pomfret) * '' Brama pauciradiata''

Moteki is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mitsurō Kubo. It was serialized in ''Evening'' magazine from 2008 to 2010, with its chapters collected into four ''tankōbon'' volumes by Kodansha. It was adapted into a Japanese televi ...

, Fujita &

Last A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations ...

, 1995 (shortfin pomfret) Hibino, Y., Okada, M., Moteki, M. & Kimura, S. (2014): Redescription of the Shortfin Pomfret, ''Brama pauciradiata'', Based on Japanese Specimens (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Bramidae). ''Species Diversity, 19 (2): 111–115.''

Distribution and range

The genus ''Brama'' is predominantly pelagic and can be found globally in the high seas, with the exception of arctic and subarctic waters. This is true with the exception of two species, '' Brama orcini'' and '' Brama dussumieri'', which occupy shallower waters surrounding landmasses.

Commercial importance

Some ''Brama'' spp. are common and, when large, are sought after by fisheries, especially fisheries around

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

Ecology

Despite it being known that these fishes are migratory, little has been reported on their migratory habits. It has been predicted that spawning takes place near the surface, as the smallest larvae are typically collected in shallow waters. It is common for bramids, including ''Brama'' spp. to be found in the stomachs of large pelagic predators, such as

tuna A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...

cod Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...

, and

billfish The billfish are a group (Xiphioidea) of saltwater fish, saltwater predatory fish characterised by prominent pointed beak, bills (rostrum (anatomy), rostra), and by their large size; some are longer than . Extant billfish include sailfish and m ...

(the Cuban billfish ( Xiphias), has been reported to have a diet that consists of 37% ''Brama'' spp.). They are therefore considered to be an important forage fish for many predators.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1053062 Bramidae