Sling-jaw wrasse

Slingjaw wrasse
The sling-jaw wrasse has the most extreme jaw protrusion of all fishes
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Labridae
Genus: Epibulus
Species: E. insidiator
Binomial name
Epibulus insidiator
(Pallas, 1770)
Synonyms
  • Sparus insidiator Pallas, 1770
  • Epibulus insidiator flava Bleeker, 1849
  • Epibulus insidiator fusca Bleeker, 1849
  • Epibulus striatus F. Day, 1871

The slingjaw wrasse, Epibulus insidiator, is a species of wrasse native to the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and the African coast to the Tuamotus and Hawaii, and from the southern waters of Japan to New Caledonia. This species can be found on coral reefs at depths from 1 to 42 m (3.3 to 137.8 ft). It can reach a standard length of 54 cm (21 in). This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can be found in the aquarium trade.[2]

Extreme jaw protrusion

The sling-jaw wrasse possesses the most extreme jaw protrusion found among fishes. The species can extend its jaws up to 65% the length of its head.[3] The speed and length to which the jaw protrudes allows it to capture small fish and crustaceans. The genus this species belongs to possess one unique ligament (vomero-interopercular) and two enlarged ligaments (interoperculo-mandibular and premaxilla-maxilla), which along with a few changes to the form of cranial bones, allow it to achieve extreme jaw protrusion.

References

  1. ↑ To, A., Liu, M., Craig, M. & Rocha, L. 2010. Epibulus insidiator. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 18 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Epibulus insidiator" in FishBase. August 2013 version.
  3. ↑ Westneat, Wainwright (1989). "Feeding Mechanism of Epibulus insidiator (Labridae; Teleostei): Evolution of a Novel Functional System". Journal of Morphology. 202: 129–150.


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