# Bulldog dentex

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Species of fish

Bulldog dentex Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Acanthuriformes Family: Sparidae Genus: Virididentex Poll, 1971 Species: V. acromegalus Binomial name Virididentex acromegalus (Osório, 1911) Synonyms[2] Species synonymy Dentex acromegalus Osório, 1911 Sparus acromegalus (Osório, 1911)

The **bulldog dentex** (***Virididentex acromegalus***) is a species of marine [ray-finned fish](/source/Actinopterygii) belonging to the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Sparidae](/source/Sparidae), which includes the seabreams and porgies. The bulldog dentex is the only species in the [monospecific genus](/source/Monospecific_genus) ***Virididentex*** and it is [endemic](/source/Endemism) to Cape Verde.

## Taxonomy

The bulldog dentex was first formally [described](/source/Species_description) in 1911 as *Dentex acromegalus* by the Portuguese [biologist](/source/Biologist) [Balthazar Osório](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balthazar_Os%C3%B3rio&action=edit&redlink=1) with its [type locality](/source/Type_locality_(biology)) given as [Ilha de Santo Antão](/source/Santo_Ant%C3%A3o%2C_Cape_Verde) in Cape Verde.[3] In 1971 [Max Poll](/source/Max_Poll) reclassified this species in the [monotypic](/source/Monotypy) genus *Virididentex*.[3] This taxon is classified in the family Sparidae within the [order](/source/Order_(biology)) [Spariformes](/source/Spariformes) by the 5th edition of *[Fishes of the World](/source/Fishes_of_the_World)*.[4] Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Denticinae,[5] but the 5th edition of *Fishes of the World* does not recognise subfamilies within the Sparidae.[4]

## Etymology

The bulldog dentex has the genus name *Virididentex* combines *viridis*, meaning "green", with *[Dentex](/source/Dentex)*, the genus it was proposed as a subgenus of, the green part almost certainly refers to Cape Verde. The [specific name](/source/Specific_name_(zoology)) *acromegalus* combines *acro* meaning "at the tip", and *megalus*, meaning "large", Osório did not explain this allusion, it mat refer to the protruding lower jaw.[6]

## Description

The bulldog dentex has an oblong compressed body, the dorsal profile of the head is convex at the nape and concave in front of the eyes. The eye is relatively small in size which has a diameter obviously less than the length of the snout. The scales on the crown extend froward beyond the front margin of the eyes. The oblique mouth has a protruding lower jaw. The teeth are [canine](/source/Canine_(tooth))-like and are arranged in several rows with the outermost row being the largest. The [dorsal fin](/source/Dorsal_fin) is supported by 11 spines, the fourth or fifth spine being the longest, and 11 soft rays and the [anal fin](/source/Anal_fin) has 3 spines and 8 or 9 soft rays, the last ray on both these fins is long and filamentous. There is a wide flattened spine in the [pelvic fins](/source/Pelvic_fin) which also have an obvious axillary scale. The overall colour is uniform brownish with reddish, greenish or bluish tints, paler on the bellu and with reddish fins.[7] This species a maximum published [total length](/source/Total_length) of 52 cm (20 in), although 30 cm (12 in) is more typical.[8]

## Distribution and habitat

The bulldog dentex is endemic to Cape Verde where it is found at depths between 40 and 60 m (130 and 200 ft) over rocky substrates.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-iucn_status_19_November_2021_1-0)** Pollard, D.; Carpenter, K.E. & Russell, B. (2014). ["*Virididentex acromegalus*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/170246/1300886). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2014** e.T170246A1300886. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T170246A1300886.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T170246A1300886.en). Retrieved 19 November 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["*Virididentex acromegalus*"](https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=283157). *WoRMS*. [World Register of Marine Species](/source/World_Register_of_Marine_Species). Retrieved 7 February 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-CofF_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-CofF_3-1) Fricke, Ron; [Eschmeyer, William N.](/source/William_N._Eschmeyer) & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). ["Genera in the family Sparidae"](http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatget.asp?tbl=genus&family=Sparidae). *[Catalog of Fishes](/source/Catalog_of_Fishes)*. [California Academy of Sciences](/source/California_Academy_of_Sciences). Retrieved 22 February 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Nelson5_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Nelson5_4-1) [Nelson, J.S.](/source/Joseph_S._Nelson); Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). *Fishes of the World* (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: [John Wiley & Sons](/source/John_Wiley_%26_Sons). pp. 502–506. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/9781119174844](https://doi.org/10.1002%2F9781119174844). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-118-34233-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-118-34233-6). [LCCN](/source/LCCN_(identifier)) [2015037522](https://lccn.loc.gov/2015037522). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [951899884](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/951899884). [OL](/source/OL_(identifier)) [25909650M](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL25909650M).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Parenti_5-0)** Parenti, P. (2019). ["An annotated checklist of the fishes of the family Sparidae"](https://fishtaxa.com/menuscript/index.php/ft/article/view/49/52). *FishTaxa*. **4** (2): 47–98.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ETYFish_6-0)** Christopher Scharpf (6 February 2024). ["Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 6): Families GERREIDAE, LETHRINIDAE, NEMIPTERIDAE and SPARIDAE"](https://etyfish.org/acanthuriformes6/). *The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database*. v. 3.0. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 16 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FAO_7-0)** [Kent E. Carpenter](/source/Kent_E._Carpenter) (2016). "Sparidae". In Carpenter, K.E. and De Angelis, N. (eds.). [*The living marine resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic Volume 2 Bony fishes part 2 (Perciformes to Tetradontiformes) and Sea turtles*](https://www.fao.org/3/i5715e/i5715e.pdf) (PDF). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Rome: FAO. pp. 2567–2620. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-92-5-109267-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-92-5-109267-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Fishbase_8-0)** [Froese, Rainer](/source/Rainer_Froese); [Pauly, Daniel](/source/Daniel_Pauly) (eds.). ["*Virididentex acromegalus*"](https://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?genusname=Virididentex&speciesname=acromegalus). *[FishBase](/source/FishBase)*. October 2023 version.

## Further reading

[Wikispecies](/source/Wikispecies) has information related to ***[Bulldog dentex](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Search/Bulldog_dentex)***.

- Eschmeyer, William N., ed. 1998. Catalog of Fishes. Special Publication of the Center for Biodiversity Research and Information, no. 1, vol. 1–3. California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco, California, USA. 2905. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-940228-47-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-940228-47-5).

- Fenner, Robert M. *The Conscientious Marine Aquarist*. Neptune City, New Jersey, USA: T.F.H. Publications, 2001.

- Helfman, G., B. Collette and D. Facey: *The diversity of fishes*. Blackwell Science, Malden, Massachusetts, USA, 1997.

- Hoese, D.F. 1986. A M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany

- Maugé, L.A. 1986. A J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MRAC, Tervuren, Flanders; and ORSTOM, Paris, France, Vol. 2.

- Moyle, P. and J. Cech.: *Fishes: An Introduction to Ichthyology*, 4th ed., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA: Prentice-Hall. 2000.

- Nelson, J.: *Fishes of the World*, 3rd ed.. New York, USA: John Wiley and Sons., 1994

- Wheeler, A.: *The World Encyclopedia of Fishes*, 2nd ed., London: Macdonald., 1985

Taxon identifiers Virididentex Wikidata: Q1813809 Wikispecies: Virididentex BOLD: 34745 CoL: 86XQ GBIF: 2392639 iNaturalist: 92803 IRMNG: 1032401 ITIS: 647878 NCBI: 490344 Open Tree of Life: 339668 WoRMS: 271216 Virididentex acromegalus Wikidata: Q2417298 BOLD: 34746 CoL: 7G5KC FishBase: 8078 GBIF: 2392640 iNaturalist: 347722 IRMNG: 10156548 ITIS: 647993 IUCN: 170246 NCBI: 490345 OBIS: 283157 Open Tree of Life: 339669 WoRMS: 283157

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