Naso (genus)

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Unicorn fishes
Fossil range: Eocene to Present[1]
Spotted unicornfish, Naso brevirostris
Spotted unicornfish, Naso brevirostris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Naso
Lacépède, 1801
Species

See text.

The unicorn fishes are 17 species of tropical marine surgeonfishes in the genus Naso. They are so named because of a spike that protrudes from its forehead; however some species have a bulbous protrusion rather than a pronounced spike, and some lack a spike altogether. Unicorn fishes usually have a pair of spines on each side of the tail shaft that are used for defense.

[edit] Species

  • Whitemargin unicornfish, Naso annulatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825).
  • Humpback unicornfish, Naso brachycentron (Valenciennes, 1835).
  • Spotted unicornfish, Naso brevirostris (Cuvier, 1829).
  • Naso caeruleacauda Randall, 1994.
  • Gray unicornfish, Naso caesius Randall & Bell, 1992.
  • Elegant unicornfish, Naso elegans (Rüppell, 1829).
  • Horseface unicornfish, Naso fageni Morrow, 1954.
  • Sleek unicornfish, Naso hexacanthus (Bleeker, 1855).
  • Orangespine unicornfish, Naso lituratus (Forster, 1801).
  • Elongate unicornfish, Naso lopezi Herre, 1927.
  • Naso maculatus Randall & Struhsaker, 1981.
  • Squarenose unicornfish, Naso mcdadei Johnson, 2002.
  • Slender unicorn, Naso minor (Smith, 1966).
  • Naso reticulatus Randall, 2001.
  • Oneknife unicornfish, Naso thynnoides (Cuvier, 1829).
  • Bulbnose unicornfish, Naso tonganus (Valenciennes, 1835).
  • Humpnose unicornfish, Naso tuberosus Lacépède, 1801.
  • Bluespine unicornfish, Naso unicornis (Forsskål, 1775).
  • Bignose unicornfish, Naso vlamingii (Valenciennes, 1835).

[edit] Gallery

Orangespine unicornfish, Naso lituratus

Elongate unicornfish, Naso lopezi

Bluespine unicornfish, Naso unicornis

Whitemargin unicornfish, Naso annulatus

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology 364: p.560. 
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