Chaetodipterus faber (SEFSC Pascagoula Laboratory; Collection of Brandi Noble, NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC )
Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Superclassis/Classis: Actinopterygii
Classis/Subclassis: Actinopteri
Subclassis/Infraclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Megacohors: Osteoglossocephalai
Supercohors: Clupeocephala
Cohors: Euteleosteomorpha
Subcohors: Neoteleostei
Infracohors: Eurypterygia
Sectio: Ctenosquamata
Subsectio: Acanthomorphata
Divisio/Superordo: Acanthopterygii
Subdivisio: Percomorphaceae
Series: Eupercaria
Ordo: Ephippiformes
Familia: Ephippidae
Genus: Chaetodipterus
Species: Chaetodipterus faber
Name
Chaetodipterus faber (Broussonet, 1782)
Type locality: Jamaica
Holotype: Mus. Banks (apparently lost)
Synonymy
Chaetodipterus plumieri (Bloch, 1787)
Chaetodon faber Broussonet, 1782 (original combination)
Chaetodon oviformia Mitchill, 1818
Chaetodon plumieri Bloch, 1787
Ephippus gigas Cuvier, 1829
Selene quadrangularis Lacepède, 1802
Zeus quadratus Bonnaterre, 1788
Zeus quadratus Gmelin, 1788
References
Broussonet, P.A.M. 1782: Ichthyologia, sistens piscium descriptiones et icones. Decas I. London. Ichthyologia, sistens piscium descriptiones et icones. Decas I.: 49 unnum. pages, incl. i-iv., Unnum. Pls. 1-11. BHL
Lacépède, B.G.E. 1802: Histoire naturelle des poissons. 4: i-lxviii + i-xliv + 1-728, Pl. 1-16. BHL
Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister & J.R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980: Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. Publication #1980-12 of the North Carolina Biological Survey. i-x + 1-854
Links
Chaetodipterus faber – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
Chaetodipterus faber in the World Register of Marine Species
Chaetodipterus faber in FishBase,
Froese, R. & Pauly, D. (eds.) 2024. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication, www.fishbase.org, version 02/2024.
Chaetodipterus faber in Catalog of Fishes, Eschmeyer, W.N., Fricke, R. & van der Laan, R. (eds.) 2024. Catalog of Fishes electronic version.
Vernacular names
Deutsch: Atlantischer Spatenfisch
English: Atlantic spadefish
español: Chabela, paguala
magyar: Atlanti sertésfogú hal
Tiếng Việt: Cá Tai tượng Đại Tây Dương
The Atlantic spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ephippidae, the spadefishes. It is the symbol of the North Carolina Aquariums.
Taxonomy and etymology
The scientific name is derived from the Greek word "chaíti" meaning "mane" and "dipteros" meaning "with two fins."[3] The Atlantic spadefish belongs to the genus Chaetodipterus, which includes two other species: the West African spadefish (Chaetodipterus lippei) and the Pacific spadefish (Chaetodipterus zonatus).[4] The genus Chaetodipterus belongs to the family Ephippidae, which includes spadefish and batfish.
Chaetodipterus faber is known by numerous other colloquial names, including angelfish, white angelfish, threetailed porgy, ocean cobbler, and moonfish.[5][6]
Description
An 1865 watercolor painting of an Atlantic spadefish by Jacques Burkhardt.
An 1865 watercolor painting of an Atlantic spadefish by Jacques Burkhardt
The disk-shaped body is very deep and compressed, and the snout is blunt.[3][7] There are 9 dorsal spines and 21–24 soft dorsal rays, and there are 3 anal spines and 17–19 anal rays. The second dorsal and anal fins of adults have long, trailing anterior lobes, giving an "angelfish-like" appearance. The body is silver in color with irregular black vertical bands that fade gradually with age. There are 4–6 black vertical bands on each side, with the first running through the eye and the last running through the caudal peduncle.
The mouth is small, with the maxilla of adults ending beneath the nostrils. The teeth are small and brushlike, and there are no teeth on the roof of the mouth. The head and fins are covered with ctenoid scales. Specimens commonly weigh from 3 to 10 pounds (1.4 to 4.5 kg), although individuals as large as 20 pounds (9.1 kg) have been recorded.[8] Their maximum length is about 36 inches (91 cm).
Diet
A large Atlantic spadefish caught off the coast of Virginia
Atlantic spadefish feed on small, benthic invertebrates including crustaceans, mollusks, annelids, and cnidarians.[3][7] They also feed on plankton in the water column.
Distribution and habitat
The species is endemic to the western Atlantic Ocean.[3][7] They are found off the coast of the southeastern United States as far north as Massachusetts, the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Caribbean. They are also found in Bermuda and the eastern coast of Brazil.
The fish inhabits marine and brackish waters typically in subtropical climates. They are common in shallow waters along coastlines with depths of 3–35 metres (9.8–114.8 ft). Juveniles commonly inhabit estuaries until maturity and adults prefer mangroves, beaches, and harbors.
Reproduction and life cycle
Spawning season occurs from May to September. A female can release up to one million eggs per season.[3] The eggs hatch after 24 hours and the larvae feed on a yolk for two days before actively feeding.
Importance to humans
Atlantic spadefish are not of much commercial value.[3] Due to their reputation as strong fighters, they are popular game fish, especially during the summer months when they are most active.[8][9] The Atlantic spadefish has become a popular target species for sportfishermen due to their abundance and the strong fight they have for their size. They are good table fare, especially if smoked or grilled. A common method of catching involves using small pieces of clam on a small circle hook.
See also
Ephippidae
Pacific spadefish
Chaetodipterus
Angelfish (disambiguation)
Recreational fishing
References
Dooley, J.; Collette, B.; Aiken, K.A.; Marechal, J.; Pina Amargos, F.; Robertson, R.; Kishore, R.; Singh-Renton, S. (2015). "Chaetodipterus faber". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T16435530A16509752. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T16435530A16509752.en.
Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Chaetodopterus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
"Chaetodipterus faber :: Florida Museum of Natural History". floridamuseum.ufl.edu. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
"ITIS Standard Report Page: Chaetodipterus faber". itis.gov. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
"Common Names List – Chaetodipterus faber". fishbase.org. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
Cassidy, Frederic Gomes (2003). Dictionary of American Regional English. Harvard University Press. p. 288.
Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (2008). "Chaetodipterus faber". FishBase. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
Ward, Artemas (1911). "Angel fish". Grocer's Encyclopedia. New York.
Burleson, Jeff (19 June 2006). "Aces of Spades". Carolina Sportsman. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
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