Bembras

{{Short description|Genus of fishes}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Bembras japonica.jpeg | image_caption = ''Bembras japonica'' | taxon = Bembras | authority = G. Cuvier, 1829 | type_species = ''Bembras japonicus'' | type_species_authority = Cuvier, 1829<ref name = CofF>{{Cof family|family=Bembridae|access-date=1 July 2022}}</ref> }}

'''''Bembras''''' is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Bembridae, the deepwater flatheads. These fishes are found in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

==Taxonomy== ''Bembras'' was first proposed as a monotypic genus in 1829 by the French zoologist George Cuvier when he described ''Bembras japonica'' from Japan.<ref name = CofF/><ref name = CofF2>{{Cof genus|genus=Bembras|access-date=1 July 2022}}</ref> Cuvier did not explain the etymology of ''Bembras'', however, it is thought that it may come from an ancient Greek word for some sort of small fish, such as anchovy, sprat or smelt. which at least dates as far back as Aristotle. Cuvier applied this type of name to other genera he put forward, such as ''Synodontis'', ''Salanx'' or ''Premnas''.<ref name = ETYFish>{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/perciformes11/ | title = Order Perciformes (Part 11): Suborder Platycephaloidei: Families Bembridae, Parabembridae, Hoplichthyidae, Platycephalidae and Plectrogeniidae | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | editor1= Christopher Scharpf | editor2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp |date = 7 December 2021 | access-date = 1 July 2022 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara}}</ref>

==Species== There are currently seven recognized species in this genus:<ref name = Fishbase>{{FishBase genus | genus = Bembras| month = February | year = 2022}}</ref><ref name=CofF2/> * ''Bembras adenensis'' Imamura & L. W. Knapp, 1997 * ''Bembras andamanensis'' Imamura, Psomadakis & Thein, 2018 * ''Bembras japonica'' G. Cuvier, 1829 * ''Bembras leslieknappi'' Imamura, Psomadakis & Thein, 2018 * ''Bembras longipinnis'' Imamura & L. W. Knapp, 1998 (Longfin flathead) * ''Bembras macrolepis'' Imamura, 1998 (Bigscale flathead) * ''Bembras megacephala'' Imamura & L. W. Knapp, 1998 (Greenspotted flathead)

==Characteristics== ''Bembras'' deepwater flatheads are differentiated from other Bembrid genera by having a lack of spines in the anal fin, a terminal lower jaw which does not protrude beyond the upper jaw and having the maxillae being relatively wide to its rear. They have between 28 and 32 scales in the lateral line and between 21 and 30 fin rays in each of the pectoral fins. The head is large at around 40% of the standard length.<ref name = FAO>{{cite book | editor1 =Carpenter, K.E. | editor2 = Niem, V.H. | title = FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 4. Bony fishes part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae) | publisher = FAO, Rome | year = 1999 | chapter = Bembridae Deepwater flatheads | author = S. G. Poss | pages = 2383–2384 | isbn = 9251043019}}</ref> The species within ''Bembras'' are all around the same size with the largest being ''B. japonica'' which has a maximum published standard length of {{cvt|30|cm}}.<ref name = Fishbase/>

==Distribution and habitat== ''Bembras'' deepwater flatheads are found in the Indo-Pacific region from the Gulf of Aden to the Western Pacific Ocean north as far as Japan and south to Australia.<ref name = Fishbase/> These are demersal fishes of the continental shelf at depths between {{cvt|80|and|581|m}}.<ref name = FAO/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Bembridae Category:Taxa named by Georges Cuvier