# Calamus (fish)

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Genus of fishes

Calamus Temporal range: 33–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Early Oligocene to Present[1] Calamus bajonado Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Acanthuriformes Family: Sparidae Genus: Calamus Swainson, 1839 Type species Calamus megacephalus Swainson, 1839[2] Species see text Synonyms[2] Grammateus Poey, 1872

***Calamus*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of marine [ray-finned fishes](/source/Ray-finned_fish) belonging to the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Sparidae](/source/Sparidae), the seabreams and porgies. Most of the species in this genus are found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, with 2 species occurring in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

## Taxonomy

*Calamus* was first proposed as a [monospecific genus](/source/Monospecific_genus) in 1839 by the English [zoologist](/source/Zoologist) [William Swainson](/source/William_Swainson) when he [described](/source/Species_description) *Calamus megacephalus* as its only species.[3] The [type locality](/source/Type_locality_(biology)) of *C. megacephalus* was given as [Martinique](/source/Martinique), it was later found to be a [junior synonym](/source/Junior_synonym) of *[Pagellus calamus](/source/Calamus_calamus)*, described by [Achille Valenciennes](/source/Achille_Valenciennes) in 1830.[4] This genus is placed 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)*.[5] Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Sparinae,[6] but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sparidae.[5]

## Etymology

*Calamus* means "[quill](/source/Quill)", an allusion to what Swainson described as “the second anal-fin spine, hollow, shaped as a pen".[3] The name of the [senior synonym](/source/Senior_synonym) of the [type species](/source/Type_species) is, therefore, not a [tautonym](/source/Tautonym).[7]

## Species

*Calamus* contains the fiollowing recognized species:[8]

- *[Calamus arctifrons](/source/Calamus_arctifrons)* [Goode](/source/George_Brown_Goode) & [T. H. Bean](/source/Tarleton_Hoffman_Bean), 1882 (Grass porgy)

- *[Calamus bajonado](/source/Calamus_bajonado)* ([Bloch](/source/Marcus_Elieser_Bloch) & [Schneider](/source/Johann_Gottlob_Theaenus_Schneider), 1801) (Jolthead porgy)

- *[Calamus brachysomus](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calamus_brachysomus&action=edit&redlink=1)* ([Lockington](/source/William_Neale_Lockington), 1880) {Pacific porgy)

- *[Calamus calamus](/source/Calamus_calamus)* ([Valenciennes](/source/Achille_Valenciennes), 1830) (Saucereye porgy)

- *[Calamus campechanus](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calamus_campechanus&action=edit&redlink=1)* [J. E. Randall](/source/John_Ernest_Randall) and [D. K. Caldwell](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Keller_Caldwell&action=edit&redlink=1), 1966 (Campeche porgy)

- *[Calamus cervigoni](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calamus_cervigoni&action=edit&redlink=1)* [J. E. Randall](/source/John_Ernest_Randall) and [D. K. Caldwell](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Keller_Caldwell&action=edit&redlink=1), 1966 (Spotfin porgy)

- *[Calamus leucosteus](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calamus_leucosteus&action=edit&redlink=1)* [D. S. Jordan](/source/David_Starr_Jordan) & [Gilbert](/source/Charles_Henry_Gilbert), 1885

- *[Calamus mu](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calamus_mu&action=edit&redlink=1)* [J. E. Randall](/source/John_Ernest_Randall) and [D. K. Caldwell](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Keller_Caldwell&action=edit&redlink=1), 1966 (Flathead porgy)

- *[Calamus nodosus](/source/Calamus_nodosus)* [J. E. Randall](/source/John_Ernest_Randall) and [D. K. Caldwell](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Keller_Caldwell&action=edit&redlink=1), 1966 (Knobbed porgy)

- *[Calamus penna](/source/Calamus_penna)* (Valenciennes, 1830) (Sheepshead porgy)

- *[Calamus pennatula](/source/Calamus_pennatula)* [Guichenot](/source/Alphonse_Guichenot), 1868 (Pluma porgy)

- *[Calamus proridens](/source/Calamus_proridens)* Jordan & Gilbert, 1884 (Littlehead porgy)

- *[Calamus taurinus](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calamus_taurinus&action=edit&redlink=1)* ([Jenyns](/source/Leonard_Jenyns), 1840) (Galápagos porgy)

## Characteristics

*Calamus* porgies are characterized by having deep, compressed bodies and deep heads which has a steep dorsal profile and deep cheeks. The posterior nostrils are slits. The large mouth has fleshy lips and a large lower jaw. The suborbital bone overlaps the rear of the [maxilla](/source/Maxilla). There are 2 rows of teeth in the jaws, the teeth at the front are canine like and those in the rear resemble molars. The [preoperculum](/source/Preoperculum) has no serrations or spines on its margin. The [dorsal fin](/source/Dorsal_fin) is low and contains 13 spines while the [anal fin](/source/Anal_fin) is contains 3 spines. The [pectoral fins](/source/Pectoral_fin) are markedly longer than the [pelvic fins](/source/Pelvic_fin). The cheeks and gill cover are scaled but the snout and space in front of the eyes are naked.[9] The largest species in the genus is the [jolthead porgy](/source/Jolthead_porgy) (*C. bajonado*) which has a maximum published [fork length](/source/Fork_length) of 76 cm (30 in) while the smallest is the spotfin porgy (*C. cervigoni*) with a maximum published [total length](/source/Total_length) of 20 cm (7.9 in).[8]

## Distribution

*Calamus* porgies are found in the Americas, 11 of the 13 species being found in the Western Atlantic Ocean and the other 2, *C. brachysomus* and *C. taurinus*, in the eastern Pacific Ocean.[8]

## Fisheries

Calamus porgies are valued as food fishes and are important quarry species for both commercial and recreational fisheries.[10]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Sepkoski, Jack (2002). ["A compendium of fossil marine animal genera"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090220223520/http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class). *Bulletins of American Paleontology*. **364**: 560. Archived from [the original](http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class) on 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2007-12-25.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-CofF_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-CofF_2-1) 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 1 January 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Swainson_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Swainson_3-1) Swainson, W. (1839). [*On the natural history and classification of fishes, amphibians, & reptiles, or monocardian animals*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40723234#page/235/mode/1up). Vol. 2. London: Spottiswoode & Co.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CofF2_4-0)** Fricke, Ron; [Eschmeyer, William N.](/source/William_N._Eschmeyer) & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). ["Species in the genus *Calamus*"](http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatget.asp?tbl=species&genus=Calamus). *[Catalog of Fishes](/source/Catalog_of_Fishes)*. [California Academy of Sciences](/source/California_Academy_of_Sciences). Retrieved 1 January 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Nelson5_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Nelson5_5-1) [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_6-0)** 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_7-0)** ["Order SPARIFORMES: Families LETHRINIDAE, NEMIPTERIDAE and SPARIDAE"](https://web.archive.org/web/20231030165034/https://etyfish.org/spariformes/). *The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database*. Christopher Scharpf. 22 December 2023. Archived from [the original](https://etyfish.org/spariformes/) on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Fishbase_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Fishbase_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Fishbase_8-2) [Froese, Rainer](/source/Rainer_Froese); [Pauly, Daniel](/source/Daniel_Pauly) (eds.). ["Species in genus *Calamus*"](https://www.fishbase.org/identification/SpeciesList.php?genus=Calamus). *[FishBase](/source/FishBase)*. October 2023 version.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-STRI_9-0)** ["Genus: Calamus, Common Porgy, Porgies"](https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/taxon/1397). *Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information*. [Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute](/source/Smithsonian_Tropical_Research_Institute). Retrieved 2 January 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Darcy_10-0)** George H. Darcy (1986). [*Synopsis of Biological Data on the Porgies,*Calamus arctifrons*and*C. proridens*(Pisces: Sparidae)*](https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11018489.pdf) (PDF). NOAA Technical Report. Vol. NMFS44. [NOAA](/source/NOAA).

- ["Calamus"](https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=169195). [Integrated Taxonomic Information System](/source/Integrated_Taxonomic_Information_System). Retrieved 6 June 2006.

Taxon identifiers Calamus Wikidata: Q2729463 Wikispecies: Calamus (Sparidae) ADW: Calamus CoL: 8V573 EoL: 46579987 GBIF: 2392568 iNaturalist: 49239 ITIS: 169195 NCBI: 119695 Open Tree of Life: 364595 WoRMS: 159240

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