Pegasus [1] ( lat. Pegasidae ) - a family of marine and brackish-water ray-finned fish from the order of needle - shaped [2] , previously allocated in a separate order of Pegasiformes [3] [4] .
| Pegasus |
Eurypegasus draconis |
| Scientific classification |
|---|
| No rank : | Bilateral symmetric |
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| International Scientific Name |
|---|
Pegasidae |
| Childbirth |
|---|
- Pegasus Linnaeus , 1758
- Eurypegasus Bleeker , 1863
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Distributed in tropical and temperate waters of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. They are found in marine, rarely in brackish water. Inhabitants of shallow coastal waters (not deeper than 150 m) [1] [4] . Bottom fish; found on rocky, sandy and silty bottoms [5] .
Studied poorly [3] [4] . Apparently, they can walk along the bottom on the ventral fins [5] , and according to some reports, they can glide along the surface of the water on the pectoral [4] [3] .
Content
Pegasus reaches a length of 8 cm ( Eurypegasus papilio ) to 18 cm ( Pegasus volitans ) [6] . The body is flattened from top to bottom and is covered with a carapace of bone scutes and rings. The elements of the shell, with the exception of the tail, are connected motionless. The nasal bones fuse into a flat elongated snout. Under it is a small retractable toothless mouth [4] . The pectoral fins are large, pterygoid, containing 9–19 unbranched, stubborn rays [1] . The ventral fins are tentacle-like, have 1 spine and 2-3 unbranched soft rays [5] . The dorsal and anal fins are small, located opposite each other, have 5 soft rays. There are 8 rays in the caudal fin . The number of vertebrae is from 19 to 22. Gill openings are small. There is no swimming bladder [1] [3] [4] [5] .
Coloring is very variable. Apparently, they can quickly change it in order to disguise. The upper side of the body usually has a brown color of various shades and brightness, the lower side is painted paler. The back and sides are often covered with a dark mesh pattern or broken lines, sometimes there are light spots. The pectoral fins usually have a white edge and rows of brown spots [5] .
In the family there are 2 genera with 6 species [2] [6] :
- Pegasus Linnaeus , 1758 . The eyes below are not visible; rings in the tail of the shell 11 or more [1] . 3 types:
- Pegasus lancifer Kaup , 1861
- Pegasus laternarius Cuvier , 1816
- Pegasus volitans Linnaeus, 1758
- Pegasus tetrabelos Osterhage , Pogonoski , Appleyard & WT White , 2016 [7]
- Eurypegasus Bleeker , 1863 . The eyes below are visible; rings in the tail of the carapace 8-9 [1] . 2 types:
- Eurypegasus draconis (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Eurypegasus papilio ( Gilbert , 1905)
In Southeast Asia, these dried fish are sold as souvenirs, amulets [4] [5] and medicines: it is believed that the broth of them helps with diseases of the throat. They have no other economic applications [5] .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nelson, DS, Fish of the World Fauna / Trans. 4th pererabot. English ed. N. G. Bogutskaya, scientific. editors A.M. Nasek, A.S. Gerd. - M .: Book House "LIBROCOM", 2009. - S. 436–437. - ISBN 978-5-397-00675-0 .
- ↑ 1 2 Nelson J. S. , Grande T. C., Wilson M. V. H. Fishes of the World . - 5th ed. - Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons , 2016 .-- P. 406–407. - 752 p. - ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6 . - DOI : 10.1002 / 9781119174844 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Pegasus // Biological Encyclopedic Dictionary / Ch. ed. M.S. Gilyarov ; Edited .: A. A. Baev , G. G. Winberg, G. A. Zavarzin, and others. - M .: Sov. Encyclopedia , 1986.- S. 454.- 831 p. - 100 000 copies
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Animal life. Volume 4. Lancelet. Cyclostomes. Cartilaginous fish. Bone fish / ed. T. S. Rassa , ch. ed. V. E. Sokolov . - 2nd ed. - M .: Enlightenment, 1983. - S. 508. - 300 000 copies.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pietsch TW, Palsson WA Order Gasterosteiformes // The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific / Kent E. Carpenter, Volker H. Niem (eds.). - Rome, 1999. - Vol. 4: Bony fishes. Part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). - P. 2262. - (FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes). - ISBN 9251043019 .
- ↑ 1 2 FishBase: Specieslist of Pegasidae
- ↑ .Osterhage D., Pogonoski JJ, Appleyard SA, White WT (2016) Integrated Taxonomy Reveals Hidden Diversity in Northern Australian Fishes: A New Species of Seamoth (Genus Pegasus ). PLoS ONE , 11 (3): e0149415. DOI : 10.1371 / journal.pone.0149415
