Monodactylus argenteus
| Monodactylus argenteus | |
|---|---|
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| A juvenile | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Monodactylidae |
| Genus: | Monodactylus |
| Species: | M. argenteus
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| Binomial name | |
| Monodactylus argenteus | |
| Synonyms | |
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Monodactylus argenteus is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Monodactylidae, the moonyfishes. Its common name includes silver moonyfish, natal moony,[2] butter bream, and diamondfish.[3] It is native to the western Pacific and the Indian Ocean, including the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and associated estuaries such as the Mekong Delta.[2]
Etymology
The specific epithet of this species, argenteus, is Latin for "silvery". This may be a reference to its silvery hue.
Description
This species reaches a maximum length of about 27 cm. It is of a bright shiny silver color with yellowish edges to the fins,[2] and the dorsal and anal fins have black tips.[3] Juveniles have more yellow coloration[2] and have two vertical black bands, one across the eye and the other just behind the operculum.[4]
Habitat
This species occurs in a wide variety of habitat types, including the open ocean, brackish waters, and the freshwater habitat of rivers[2] (for instance, in Australia, it can be found in harbors and estuaries around piers[3]). Its ability to survive in a wide range of salinities makes it a model organism in the study of salinity tolerance.[4][5] Juveniles are especially tolerant to salinity changes, easily maintaining homeostasis in variable environments such as estuaries.[4]
Behavior
Although this species displays territorial behavior,[2] it can be kept in saltwater aquaria and is easy to rear in captivity.[5] It can remain solitary or form schools. It is a detritivore and planktivore.
Parasites
The myxozoan parasite Kudoa monodactyli is found on and named after this fish.[6]
References
- ^ Azeroual, A.; Kaymaram, F.; Abdulqader, E.; Alnazry, H.; Al-Husaini, M.; Almukhtar, M.; Hartmann, S.; Alam, S.; Sparks, J.S. (2017). "Monodactylus argenteus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T166925A46644370. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T166925A46644370.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Editors. Monodactylus argenteus. FishBase. 2017.
- ^ a b c Monodactylus argenteus. Fishes of Australia.
- ^ a b c Kang, C., et al. (2012). Effects of low environmental salinity on the cellular profiles and expression of Na, K-ATPase and Na, K, 2Cl 2 cotransporter 1 of branchial mitochondrion-rich cells in the juvenile marine fish Monodactylus argenteus. Archived 12 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine Fish Physiol Biochem 38 665–678.
- ^ a b Yang, S., et al. (2015) Comparisons of two types of teleostean pseudobranchs, silver moony (Monodactylus argenteus) and tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), with salinity‑dependent morphology and ion transporter expression. Archived 6 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine J Comp Physiol B185 677–693.
- ^ Gunter, N. L., et al. (2006). Characterization of Kudoa monodactyli n. sp.(Myxosporea: Multivalvulida) from the muscle of Monodactylus argenteus (Teleostei: Monodactylidae) from Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 53(5), 374.
External links
- Photos of Monodactylus argenteus in the Sealife Collection
