Anisotremus virginicus

Anisotremus virginicus
Conservation status
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Haemulidae
Genus: Anisotremus
Species: A. virginicus
Binomial name
Anisotremus virginicus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
  • Sparus virginicus Linnaeus, 1758

Anisotremus virginicus, the porkfish, is a species of grunt native to the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Brazil and the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. This nocturnal species inhabits areas of reef or with rocky substrates at depths of from 2 to 20 metres (6.6 to 65.6 ft). It can reach a length of 40.6 centimetres (16.0 in) TL though most do not exceed 25 centimetres (9.8 in). It is of minor importance as a commercial food fish and is also popular as a game fish though it is reported to sometimes contain the ciguatera toxin. It is also a popular fish in public aquariums.[1]

Etymology

Anisotremus from the Greek, anisos = unequal and from the Greek, trema, -atos = hole. [2]

References

  1. Template:Fishase species
  2. Froese, Rainer. "Anisotremus virginicus (Linnaeus, 1758) Porkfish". fishbase.ca. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
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