Parabembras robinsoni, the African deep-water flathead, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Bembridae, the deepwater flatheads. It is found in Western Indian Ocean off southeastern Africa.

Parabembras robinsoni
Lateral view of the three species of Parabembras; A P. curta, FAKU 41447, 143.5 mm SL B P. robinsoni, NSMT-P 129791, 165.1 mm SL C P. multisquamata, holotype, MNHN-IC-2008-1516, 167.3 mm SL. White line indicates anus.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Bembridae
Genus: Parabembras
Species:
P. robinsoni
Binomial name
Parabembras robinsoni
Regan, 1921

Taxonomy

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Parabembras robinsoni was first formally described as Brembras curtus in 1921 by the British ichthyologist Charles Tate Regan with its type locality given as 24 to 35 km (15 to 22 mi) off Umvoti River mouth in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.[2] The genus Parabembras is sufficiently different from the other genera in that family to be classified as their own family, Parabembradidae, by some authorities.[3] The specific name robinsoni honours John Benjamin Romer Robinson, a South African angler, lawyer and businessman, who gave the type to the British Museum (Natural History).[4]

Description

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Parabembras robinsoni has a head and body which is reddish orange and white ventrally. Fins red in colour with pale reddish interradial membranes. A symphyseal knob on the lower jaw present, which is the clear difference from Parabembras curta. Two preocular spine and single robust lachrymal spines present. There are 6–8 supraocular spines, 11 spines in the first dorsal fin. Body cylindrical and posteriorly moderately compressed. Scales ctenoid. Mouth large and slightly oblique.[3] This species has a maximum published total length of 24 cm (9.4 in).[5]

Distribution and habitat

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Parabembras robinsoni is found in the southwestern Indian Ocean from Mozambique to Durban. It is a bathydemersal species found at depths between 200 and 600 m (660 and 1,970 ft).[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Motomura, H.; Khan, M. & Matsuura, K. (2018). "Parabembras robinsoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T114172380A114172383. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T114172380A114172383.en. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Parabembras". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b Yoshiaki Kai; Ronald Fricke (2018). "Taxonomic review of the deep water flathead genus Parabembras with description of the new species Parabembras multisquamata from the western Pacific Ocean". ZooKeys (740): 59–76. doi:10.3897/zookeys.740.21729. PMC 5904489. PMID 29674889.
  4. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (7 December 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 11): Suborder Platycephaloidei: Families Bembridae, Parabembridae, Hoplichthyidae, Platycephalidae and Plectrogeniidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  5. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Parabembras robinsoni". FishBase. February 2022 version.