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Tetrosomus gibbosus, the humpback turretfish, is native to Indo-Pacific waters, including the South China Sea, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf.[1] It is one of 22 species in the Ostraciidae or boxfish family.[2] Other common names include the camel cowfish, helmet cowfish, or thornbacked boxfish. This species is most closely related to Tetrosomus reipublicae, the smallspine turretfish.[3]
Description
[edit]T. gibbosus is normally around 20 cm (7.9 in) long when it is fully grown, but can reach up to 30 cm (11.8 in) in length.[1] Fish in the Tetrosomus family are characterized by the presence of a carapace, a hard upper shell formed by thick scale plates.[3] The body is completely encased in this bony shell, except for small openings such as the mouth, eyes, and gills.[2] The mouth is small with fleshy lips and conical teeth normally numbering less than 15.[2]
Biology
[edit]T. gibbosus has poisonous flesh, organs, and spines, and is known to secret poisonous mucus in defense or when it is disturbed.[1] This poison can be fatal to humans or other marine organisms that come into contact it.[1] T. gibbosus is hermaphroditic; all individuals of this species are born female, but some may change into males as they grow.[1] Juveniles live together in small schools, but individuals become solitary when they are adults.[1] T. gibbosus is an omnivorous species. Its diet is known to include seaweeds, sponges, molluscs, worms, and crustaceans found on the bottom of its habitat.[1]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]T. gibbosus lives in shallow tropical waters or warm seas with muddy bottoms, at depths of 37-110 meters (121-361 feet).[2] It is a coastal species, frequently found in coral reefs.[4] It does not live in pelagic waters, and cannot swim long distances.[5] Its conservation status is not of concern in any area except for the South China Sea, where it is considered an endangered species.[4]
Lessepsian migration
[edit]A Lessepsian migration refers to the migration of a marine species from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, facilitated by the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. A species is considered Lessepsian when it has completed this migration and established a population. T. gibbosus was first found in the Mediterranean Sea in 1988.[6] Both of these bodies of water have similar salinity levels and temperature ranges, which allows for an easier transition between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.[7][5] It is thought that Lessepsian species migrated due to changing climates, since the geographic land barrier was removed when the Suez Canal was completed.[6] T. gibbosus is now considered an invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, as this is not included in its native distribution.[6] It is also considered an established species because it has established a growing population and has been found in multiple locations.[7] It is the first species from the Ostraciidae family to be found in the Mediterranean Sea.[5] Due to its inability to swim long distances, T. gibbosus likely took multiple generations to migrate from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea; this is thought to have happened, in part, from northward currents moving eggs and larvae north towards the Mediterranean Sea.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Ketabi, Ramin and Jamili, Shahla (2017) Tetrosomus gibbosus (Linnaeus, 1758). Kish International Campus, Tehran University.
- ^ a b c d Matsuura, Keiichi (2015-01-01). "Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014". Ichthyological Research. 62 (1): 72–113. doi:10.1007/s10228-014-0444-5. ISSN 1616-3915.
- ^ a b "ScienceDirect". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
- ^ a b "Redirection To The Login script". login.ezproxy.bu.edu. doi:10.1007/s11160-014-9371-9. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
- ^ a b c d Spanier, E., and M. Goren. “An Indo-Pacific Trunkfish Tetrosomus Gibbosus (Linnaeus): First Record of the Family Ostracionidae in the Mediterranean.” Journal of Fish Biology, vol. 32, no. 5, 19 Jan. 1988, pp. 797–798., doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1988.tb05420.x.
- ^ a b c "Redirection To The Login script". login.ezproxy.bu.edu. doi:10.1007/s10530-008-9284-4. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
- ^ a b "Redirection To The Login script". login.ezproxy.bu.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-24.