Rhinopias cea
| Rhinopias cea | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: | Scorpaenidae |
| Genus: | Rhinopias |
| Species: | R. cea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rhinopias cea J. E. Randall & Disalvo, 1997
| |
Rhinopias cea, or Cea's scorpionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. This species is only known from two sites in the southern Pacific Ocean.
Taxonomy[edit]
Rhinopias cea was first formally described in 1997 by the American biologists John E. Randall and Louis Henry DiSalvo Chalfant with the type locality is given as Motu Iti, Easter Island.[2] The holotype was caught by hand in February 1985.[3] The specific name honours the Chilean physician, SCUBA diver, photographer, filmmaker and spearfisherman Alfredo Cea Egaña in recognition of his contribution to the authors knowledge of the fishes of Easter Island.[4]
Description[edit]
Rhinopias cea is similar to R. argoliba and shares a low dorsal fin and a low number of flaps and tentacles on the skin. The overall colour is reddish brown but differs from R. argoliba in being more mottled and in not possessing the white teardrop shaped mark between the eye and the rear end of the upper jaw.[5] There is a pair of obvious dark blotches on the body above the pectoral fin. This species attains a maximum length of 20.2 cm (8.0 in).[6]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Rhinopias cea is found in the South Pacific Ocean and has been recorded at only two localities and is known from only two specimens, one from each locality. The holotype was collected off Easter Island in 1985[3] while the second specimen was collected at Rapa Iti in French Polynesia in 1990.[7] The holotype was collected from an area of rocky habitat.[1]
Biology[edit]
Rhinopias cea is little known as there are only two recorded sightings and the IUCN classify it as Data Deficient.[1] It is likely that this species is an ambush predator of smaller fishes and crustaceans, as are its congeners.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Motomura, H.; Matsuura, K. (2016). "Rhinopias cea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T69800282A69801047. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69800282A69801047.en. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Rhinopias". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ a b Randal, John E.; Louis H. DiSalvo (1997). "Rhinopias cea, New Species of Scorpionfish from Easter Island". Bulletin of Marine Science. 60 (3): 1035–1039. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (2 October 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 9): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Family Scorpaenidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ Joe Rowlett (20 November 2020). "Rare Rhinopias species: Part 1". reefs.com. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2021). "Rhinopias cea" in FishBase. April 2021 version.
- ^ Motomura, Hiroyuki and Johnson, Jeff (2006). "Validity of the Poorly Known Scorpionfish, Rhinopias eschmeyeri, with Redescriptions of R. frondosa and R. aphanes (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae)". Copeia. 2006 (3): 500–515. doi:10.1643/0045-8511(2006)2006[500:VOTPKS]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 86584480.
- ^ Jeremy Gosnell (August 2010). "Rhinopias Scorpionfish". Tropical Fish Magazine. Retrieved 1 February 2022.