Nurseryfish
| Nurseryfish | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Indian humphead (K. indicus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Kurtidae Bleeker, 1859 |
| Genus: | Kurtus Bloch, 1786 |
| Type species | |
| Kurtus indicus Bloch, 1786 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Kurtus is a genus of perciform fishes, called the nurseryfishes, forehead brooders, or incubator fish, notable for carrying their egg clusters on hooks protruding from the forehead (supraoccipital) of the males. Kurtus is currently the only known genus in the family Kurtidae.[1][2]
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.
Species
The currently recognized species in this genus are:[3]
- Kurtus gulliveri Castelnau, 1878 (nurseryfish)
- Kurtus indicus Bloch, 1786 (Indian humphead)
References
- ↑ Johnson, G.D. & Gill, A.C. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N., ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 189. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2013). "Kurtidae" in FishBase. August 2013 version.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2013). Species of Kurtus in FishBase. August 2013 version.