Nurseryfish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Kurtus gulliveria |
The nurseryfishes or forehead brooders are a family (Kurtidae) of fish that are notable for carrying their egg clusters on hooks protruding from the forehead (supraoccipital) of the males. The family consists of just two species in the single genus Kurtus.
In addition to the egg hook, the kurtid gas bladder is enclosed in a tubular bony structure evolved from the ribs. In both species the back is elevated into a hump shape.
Despite their unusual reproductive habits, little is known about these species; they do not survive long in aquaria. Tim Berra of Ohio State University has published several papers.
[edit] Species
The nurseryfish, Kurtus gulliveri Castelnau, 1878, occurs in mangrove swamps, estuaries and slow-moving turbid rivers of Australia and New Guinea. It can grow to 63 cm.
The Indian hump head, Kurtus indicus Bloch, 1786 is found in marine waters from India's Coromandel Coast to Borneo. It is known to reach only 12.6 cm in length.
[edit] References
- "Kurtidae". FishBase. Ed. Rainer Froese and Daniel Pauly. Januayr 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Berra research on nurseryfish
