Scatophagus

Scatophagus is a fish genus in the family Scatophagidae. Species in this genus are referred as spotted scats.

Scatophagus
(Scatophagus argus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Scatophagidae
Genus:
Scatophagus

species

See text for species.

Synonyms

Cacodoxus Cantor, 1849

They are small fish native to the Indian and western Pacific Oceans that have been popular in the aquarium trade in the last 30 years. Although juvenile scats may live in a freshwater environment, most adult scats prefer a brackish water environment. However, the African scat, Scatophagus tetracanthus, can and does live in fresh water in the wild. The largest species reaches 38 cm in length and some have been known to live more than 20 years in captivity given the proper water conditions. They are scavengers, feeding on algae and feces, hence their name, from Greek skatos meaning "feces" and phagein meaning "eat".

Species
  • S. argus – common scat, green scat, ruby scat
  • S. tetracanthus – African scat (Lacépède, 1802).

Extinct species

The fossil Eoscatophagus frontalis Tyler & Sorbini, 1999[1] (syn. Scatophagus frontalis Agassiz, 1839) is from the Middle Eocene of the North Italian Monte Bolca formation that originated from sediments of the Tethys.[2][3]

Scatophagus frontalis fossil
Eoscatophagus frontalis fossil in the Natural History Museum in Verona, Italy.

See also

References
  1. Tyler, J.C. & Sorbini, C. 1999. Phylogeny of the fossil and recent genera of fishes of the family Scatophagidae (Squamipinnes). Boll. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Verona 23
    pages 353–393
  2. L. Agassiz. 1842. Recherches Sur Les Poissons Fossiles. Tome IV (livr. 14). Imprimerie de Petitpierre, Neuchâtel 205-291 (French)
  3. Karl Albert Frickhinger: Fossilien Atlas Fische, Mergus-Verlag, Melle, 1999, ISBN 3-88244-018-X


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