Aluterus heudelotii
Dotterel Filefish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Tetraodontiformes (Pufferfishes and Allies)
Monacanthidae (Filefishes)
Aluterus
Aluterus heudelotii (Dotterel Filefish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Elliptical in profile, with rudimentary pelvic spine and slender caudal peduncle. Snout slightly concave. Jaw teeth acutely pointed; upper jaw teeth in two rows (3 outer, 2 inner), lower jaw teeth in single row of 3. Head slightly concave below chin. Gill slit in front of and partially above pectoral fin base, about twice pectoral fin base length. Measurements (% SL): head length 29%–35%, snout length 24%–29%, eye diameter 6%–10%, body depth at anal fin origin 28%–47%. Pectoral fin usually with 12-14 rays. Second dorsal fin with 36-41 rays. Pelvic spine rudimentary or absent. Anal fin with 39-41 rays. Caudal peduncle lacks enlarged scales.
Brown to olive with blue lines and spots.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from Massachusetts and Bermuda to Brazil, including northern and southern Gulf of Mexico and Greater and Lesser Antilles.
Habitat Associations
Tropical and warm temperate Atlantic Ocean
Biology
Maximum known size is 300 mm TL
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: internal (oviduct). Distinct pairing (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2014-09-10. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
References
Berry and Vogele 1961
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Matsuura 1983u
Matsuura 2002c
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Castro-Aguirre et al. 1999
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Harmelin-Vivien, M.L. and J.-C. Quéro (1990) Monacanthidae. p. 1061-1066. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 p.
Figueiredo, J.L. and N.A. Menezes (2000) Manual de peixes marinhos do sudeste do Brasil. VI.Teleostei (5). Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo. Brazil. 116 p.
Bogutskaya, N.G. (2007) Preliminary assignment of coordinates to type localities in the Catalog of Fishes. Unpublished dbf file.
Matsuura, K. (2015) Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014. Ichthyol. Res. 62(1):72-113. DOI: 10.1007/s10228-014-0444-5
Fahay, M.P. (2007) Early stages of fishes in the Western North Atlantic Ocean. Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO).
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