# Bembras

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{{Short description|Genus of fishes}}
{{Automatic taxobox 
| image = Bembras japonica.jpeg
| image_caption = ''[Bembras japonica](/source/Bembras_japonica)''
| taxon = Bembras
| authority = [G. Cuvier](/source/Georges_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](/source/genus) of marine [ray-finned fish](/source/ray-finned_fish) belonging to the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Bembridae](/source/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](/source/Monotypic_taxon) genus in 1829 by the French [zoologist](/source/zoologist) [George Cuvier](/source/George_Cuvier) when he [described](/source/Species_description) ''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](/source/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](/source/anchovy), [sprat](/source/sprat) or [smelt](/source/Smelt_(fish)). which at least dates as far back as [Aristotle](/source/Aristotle). Cuvier applied this type of name to other genera he put forward, such as ''[Synodontis](/source/Synodontis)'', ''[Salanx](/source/Salanx)'' or ''[Premnas](/source/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](/source/Bembras_adenensis)'' <small>[Imamura](/source/Hisashi_Imamura) & [L. W. Knapp](/source/Leslie_William_Knapp), 1997</small>
* ''[Bembras andamanensis](/source/Bembras_andamanensis)'' <small>Imamura, [Psomadakis](/source/Peter_N._Psomadakis) & [Thein](/source/Htun_Thein), 2018</small>
* ''[Bembras japonica](/source/Bembras_japonica)'' <small>[G. Cuvier](/source/Georges_Cuvier), 1829</small>
* ''[Bembras leslieknappi](/source/Bembras_leslieknappi)'' <small>Imamura, Psomadakis & Thein, 2018</small>
* ''[Bembras longipinnis](/source/Bembras_longipinnis)'' <small>Imamura & [L. W. Knapp](/source/Leslie_William_Knapp), 1998</small> (Longfin flathead)
* ''[Bembras macrolepis](/source/Bembras_macrolepis)'' <small> Imamura, 1998</small> (Bigscale flathead)
* ''[Bembras megacephala](/source/Bembras_megacephala)'' <small> Imamura & L. W. Knapp, 1998</small> (Greenspotted flathead)

==Characteristics==
''Bembras'' deepwater flatheads are differentiated from other Bembrid genera by having a lack of spines in the [anal fin](/source/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](/source/lateral_line) and between 21 and 30 fin rays in each of the [pectoral fin](/source/pectoral_fin)s. The head is large at around 40% of the [standard length](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Gulf_of_Aden) to the Western Pacific Ocean north as far as Japan and south to Australia.<ref name = Fishbase/> These are [demersal fish](/source/demersal_fish)es of the [continental shelf](/source/continental_shelf) at depths between {{cvt|80|and|581|m}}.<ref name = FAO/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1592777}}

Category:Bembridae
Category:Taxa named by Georges Cuvier

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bembras](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bembras) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bembras?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.