Prognathodes aculeatus
Longsnout Butterflyfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfishes)
Prognathodes
Prognathodes aculeatus (Longsnout Butterflyfish)
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.)
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Characters
Deep bodied and compressed, with a long, beaklike snout. Dorsal profile is strongly concave from snout to eye and almost straight from eye to dorsal fin origin. Jaws resemble forceps. Anterior naris is tubelike, and posterior naris is elongated. Preopercular margin is finely serrated, with corner produced and rounded. Operculum has a broad-based spine on posterior margin. Gill rakers on lower limb of first arch are short and slender and number about 15. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 38%–39%, snout length 14%–15%, eye diameter 9%–11%, upper jaw length about 10%, pectoral fin length 27%–28%, body depth 56%–63%. Pectoral fin has 13 to 15 rays. Dorsal fin has 13 spines and 18 or 19 rays, with third, fourth, and fifth spines longer than remainder, making dorsal fin margin deeply incised. Anal fin has 3 spines and 14 to 16 rays, with third spine longest. Caudal fin is truncate. Lateral line is incomplete, forms high angular arc, and has 22 to 28 pored scales. Scales form low sheath at base of dorsal fin.
Color is golden or bronze yellow dorsally, shading to black on dorsal fin base, and pale to white ventrally. Dark brown bands run from snout to anterior margin of eye and from dorsal margin of eye to nape. Orange band runs from eye to side of snout, and orange bar is located on caudal peduncle.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from southern Florida and Bermuda to northern South America, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
Southern and northern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Deep reefs, between 1 and 60 m
Biology
Food consists of tentacles of tube-dwelling polychaetes, pedicellariae of sea urchins
Inhabit deep coral-rich reefs and drop-offs (Ref. 47838). Feed on small invertebrates. Often seen nibbling on the tube feet of sea urchins or the tentacles of tubeworms (Ref. 9710). Unlike some chaetodonts it does not pick parasites from the bodies of other fishes (Ref. 5521). Solitary, sometimes in pairs (Ref. 47838). Seek refuge when approached (Ref. 47838). Oviparous (Ref. 205). Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).
Max length: 10.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders. Form pairs during breeding (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-10-06. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Burgess, W.E. (1978) Butterflyfishes of the world. A monograph of the Family Chaetodontidae. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey.
Birkeland, C. and S. Neudecker (1981) Foraging behavior of two Caribbean chaetodontids: Chaetodon capistratus and C. aculeatus. Copeia 1981(1):169-178.
Acero, A.P. and J.F. Garzón (1986) Taxonomía y nomenclatura de Chaetodon sedentarius Poey y Chaetodon aculeatus (Poey) (Pisces: Chaetodontidae) y notas sobre su biología en la región de Santa Marta (Colombia). Rev. Biol. Trop. 34(2):267-271.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
Allen, G.R., R. Steene and M. Allen (1998) A guide to angelfishes and butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research. 250 p.
Rocha, L.A,, R. Myers, K.E. Carpenter (2010) Prognathodes aculeatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010 : e.T165627A6072151. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165627A6072151.en. Downloaded on 10 August 2016.
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