Scalicus

{{Short description|Genus of fishes}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Scalicus amiscus.png | image_caption = ''Scalicus amiscus'' | taxon = Scalicus | authority = D. S. Jordan, 1923 | type_species = ''Peristedion amiscus'' | type_species_authority = D. S. Jordan & Starks, 1904<ref name = CofF>{{Cof family|family=Peristediinae|access-date=24 June 2022}}</ref> | synonyms = * ''Nemaperistedion'' Fowler, 1938 | synonyms_ref = <ref name = CofF/> }}

'''''Scalicus''''' is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Peristediinae, the armoured gurnards or armored searobins. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

==Taxonomy== ''Scalicus'' was first described as a monotypic genus in 1923 by the American ichthyologist David Starr Jordan with the newly described ''Peristedion amiscus'', designated as its type species.<ref name = CofF/> Within the family Peristediidae there are 2 clades, this genus is in the clade consisting of 5 genera, with the nominate genus ''Peristedion'' in the other clade.<ref name = Kawai2008>{{cite journal | author = Toshio Kawai | title = Phylogenetic Systematics of the Family Peristediidae (Teleostei: Actinopterygii) | journal = Species Diversity | year = 2008 | volume= 13 | issue =1 | pages = 1–34 | doi = 10.12782/specdiv.13.1| doi-access = free }}</ref> Jordan did not explain the genus name's etymology but it may be from ''skallo'' meaning "hoe", an allusion top the shovel shaped snout of the type species.<ref name = ETYFish>{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/perciformes12/ | title = Order Perciformes (Part 12): Suborder Triglioidei: Families Triglidae and Peristediidae | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | editor1= Christopher Scharpf | editor2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp |date = 26 June 2021 | access-date = 29 June 2022 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara}}</ref>

==Species== ''Scalicus'' currently has 8 recognised species within it:<ref name = Fishbase>{{FishBase genus|genus=Scalicus|month=February|year=2022}}</ref> * ''Scalicus amiscus'' D. S. Jordan & Starks, 1904 * ''Scalicus engyceros'' Günther, 1872 * ''Scalicus gilberti'' D. S. Jordan, 1921 <ref name=Kawai2008/> * ''Scalicus hians'' C. H. Gilbert & Cramer, 1897 * ''Scalicus investigatoris'' Alcock, 1898 * ''Scalicus orientalis'' Fowler, 1938 * ''Scalicus paucibarbatus'' Kawai, 2019 * ''Scalicus quadratorostratus'' Fourmanoir & Rivaton, 1979 * ''Scalicus serrulatus'' Alcock, 1898

Some authorities recognise 6 valid species, treating ''S. amiscus'' as a junior synonym of ''S. hains'' and both ''S. gilberti'' and ''S, investigatoris'' as a junior synonyms of ''S. engyceros''.<ref name = CofF2>{{Cof genus|genus=Scalicus|access-date=29 June 2022}}</ref>

==Characteristics== ''Scalicus'' armoured gurnards have no teeth in the upper jaw, a smooth lateral margin of the head. The rear pairs of the lower lateral rows of scutes are not joined to each other, The lower jaw has barbels which are not branched, apart from the rearmost barbels on the lip and chin. The number of soft rays in the second dorsal fin and the anal fin both exceed 19.<ref name = FofA>{{cite web|access-date=29 June 2022|author=Dianne J. Bray|year=2019|publisher=Museums Victoria|title=Scalicus|url=https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/genus/1799|work=Fishes of Australia}}</ref> The smallest of these fishes is ''S. quadratorostratus'' which has a maximum published standard length of {{cvt|14.9|cm}} while the largest is ''S. engyceros'' which has a maximum published total length of {{cvt|32|cm}}.<ref name = Fishbase/>

==Distribution and habitat== ''Scalicus'' armoured gurnards are demersal, deep water fishes which are found in the Indian Ocean from the eastern costa of Africa to Hawaii.<ref name = Fishbase2>{{FishBase|Scalicus|investigatoris|month=February|year=2022}}</ref><ref name = Fishbase3>{{FishBase|Scalicus|gilberti|month=February|year=2022}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Peristediidae Category:Scalicus Category:Taxa named by David Starr Jordan