{{Short description|Genus of fishes}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = {{fossil range|Early Miocene|present|earliest=Eocene}} | image = Spicara flexuosum.jpg | image_caption = ''Spicara flexuosa'' | taxon = Spicara | authority = [[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Rafinesque]], 1810 | type_species = ''Spicara flexuosa'' | type_species_authority = Rafinesque, 1810 | synonyms = {{Genus list | Coleosmaris | [[John Roxborough Norman|Norman]], 1931 | Maena | [[Georges Cuvier|Cuvier]], 1829 | Marsis | [[Keppel Harcourt Barnard|Barnard]], 1927 | Merolepis | Rafinesque, 1810 | Pterosmaris | [[Henry Weed Fowler|Fowler]], 1925 }} | synonyms_ref = <ref name = CofF/> }}
'''''Spicara''''' is a [[genus]] of [[Actinopterygii|ray-finned fish]] belonging to the [[Family (taxonomy)|family]] [[Sparidae]], which includes the seabreams and porgies. These fishes are found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The species in the genus are known as '''picarels'''.
== Taxonomy == ''Spicara'' was first proposed as a [[monospecific genus]] in 1810 by the French [[naturalist]] and [[polymath]] [[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque]] when he [[Species description|described]] ''Spicara flexuosa'' as a new species.<ref name = CofF>{{Cof family|family=Sparidae|access-date=20 February 2024}}</ref> Rafinesque gave the [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]] of ''S. flexuosa'' as [[Sicily]].<ref name = CofF2>{{Cof genus|genus=Spicara|access-date=20 February 2024}}</ref> The genera ''Spicara'' and ''[[Centracanthus]]'' were formerly classified within the family Centracanthidae but [[Phylogenetics|phylogenetic]] analyses recovered the family Sparidae as paraphyletic if Spicara was not included within it. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the picarels in the family Sparidae within the [[Order (biology)|order]] [[Spariformes]] by the 5th edition of ''[[Fishes of the World]]''.<ref name = Nelson5>{{cite book |author1=Nelson, J.S. |author1-link=Joseph S. Nelson |author2=Grande, T.C. |author3=Wilson, M.V.H. |year=2016 |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |place=Hoboken, NJ |pages=502–506 |isbn=978-1-118-34233-6 |lccn=2015037522 |oclc=951899884 |ol=25909650M |doi=10.1002/9781119174844}}</ref> Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Boopsinae,<ref name = Parenti>{{cite journal |author= Parenti, P. |year=2019 |title=An annotated checklist of the fishes of the family Sparidae |journal=FishTaxa |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=47–98 |url= https://fishtaxa.com/menuscript/index.php/ft/article/view/49/52}}</ref> but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sparidae.<ref name = Nelson5/>
==Etymology== ''Spicara'' is a vernacular name for picarels, particularly ''S. flexuosa'' in Italy. This is presumed to derive from ''spica'', "a spike", or ''spicare'', meaning "in the form of or furnished with a spike", Rafinesque did not explain why he chose this name.<ref name = ETYFish>{{cite web |url=https://etyfish.org/acanthuriformes6/ |title=Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 6): Families GERREIDAE, LETHRINIDAE, NEMIPTERIDAE and SPARIDAE |date=12 January 2024 |access-date=20 February 2024 |author=Christopher Scharpf |work=The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database |publisher=Christopher Scharpf}}</ref>
==Species== There are currently eight recognized species in this genus:<ref name=Fishbase>{{FishBase genus | genus = Spicara | month = October | year = 2023}}</ref> * ''[[Spicara alta]]'' <small>([[Balthazar Osório|Osório]], 1917)</small> (Bigeye picarel) * ''[[Spicara australis]]'' <small>([[Charles Tate Regan|Regan]], 1921)</small> (Southern picarel) * ''[[Spicara axillare]]'' <small>([[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger]], 1900)</small> (Windtoy) * ''[[Spicara flexuosum]]'' <small>([[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Rafinesque]], 1810)</small><ref>{{cite journal|author=Bektas Y. |author2=Aksu I. |author3=Kalayci G. |author4=Irmak E. |author5=Engin S. |author6=Turan D. |title=Genetic differentiation of three ''Spicara (Pisces: Centracanthidae'') species, ''S. maena, S. flexuosa'' and ''S. smaris'': and intraspecific substructure of ''S. flexuosa'' in Turkish coastal waters |journal=Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences|year= 2018|volume= 18|issue=2|pages=301–311|doi=10.4194/1303-2712-v18_2_09|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Imsiridou A. |author2=Minos G. |author3=Gakopoulou A. |author4=Katsares V. |author5=Karidas T. |author6=Katselis G. |title=Discrimination of two picarel species ''Spicara flexuosa'' and ''Spicara maena (Pisces: Centracanthidae)'' based on mitochondrial DNA sequences |journal= Journal of Fish Biology|year= 2011|volume= 78|issue= 1|pages=373–377|doi=10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02858.x|pmid=21235569 |bibcode=2011JFBio..78..373I }}</ref> * ''[[Spicara maena]]'' <small>([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758)</small> (Blotched picarel) * ''[[Spicara martinicus]]'' <small>([[Achille Valenciennes|Valenciennes]], 1830)</small> * ''[[Spicara melanurus]]'' <small>Valenciennes, 1830)</small> (Blackspot picarel) * ''[[Spicara nigricauda]]'' <small>([[John Roxborough Norman|Norman]], 1931)</small> (Blacktail picarel) * ''[[Spicara smaris]]'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small> (Picarel) The following fossil species are also known:
* †''[[Spicara dionysii]]'' <small>[[Camille Arambourg|Arambourg]], 1927</small> - [[Late Miocene]] of [[Algeria]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gaudant |first=Jean |date=2008 |title=Paléobiodiversité et paléoenvironnements: l'exemple des gisements de poissons téléostéens du Messinien préévaporitique d'Oran et du bassin du Chélif (Algérie) |url=https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/en/periodiques/geodiversitas/30/1/paleobiodiversite-et-paleoenvironnements-l-exemple-des-gisements-de-poissons-teleosteens-du-messinien-preevaporitique-d-oran-et-du-bassin-du-chelif-algerie |journal=Geodiversitas |language=en |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=141–163}}</ref> * †''[[Spicara islamdagica]]'' <small>(Prokofiev, 2001)</small> - [[Early Miocene]] of [[Azerbaijan]]<ref name=":0" />
The former species ''Spicara fundata'' <small>Bannikov, 1990</small> from the [[Middle Miocene]] of [[Moldova]] is now placed in its own genus, †''[[Naslavcea fundata|Naslavcea]]''. Potential earlier fossils of ''Spicara'' are known dating back to the [[Eocene]], but only the form of isolated [[Otolith|otoliths]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Bannikov |first=A. F. |date=2006-01-01 |title=On the miocene centracanthidae (Teleostei, Perciformes) from the eastern Paratethys |journal=Paleontological Journal |language=en |volume=40 |issue=1 |pages=100–102 |doi=10.1134/S0031030106010114 |bibcode=2006PalJ...40..100B |issn=1555-6174}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bannikov |first=A. F. |date=1990 |title=A new smarid fish (Perciformes, Centracanthidae) from the Sarmatian of Moldavia |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306918529 |journal=Paleontological Journal |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=99–103}}</ref>
==Characteristics== ''Spicara'' picarels have oblong bodies which are deeper than the length of the head. They have a continuous dorsal fin with the bases of the soft rayed parts of both the dorsal and the [[anal fin]] are enclosed in a scaly sheath.<ref name = WIOF>{{cite book |author=Yukio Iwatsuki |author2=Phillip C Heemstra |name-list-style=and |chapter=Family Sparidae |pages=284–315 |title=Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean |volume=3 |editor1=[[Phil Heemstra|Phillip C Heemstra]] |editor2=Elaine Heemstra |editor3=David A Ebert |editor4=Wouter Holleman |editor5=[[John Ernest Randall|John E Randall]] |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-990951-32-9 |publisher=South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity |url=https://saiab.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1._wiof_volume_3_text.pdf}}</ref> The largest species in the genus is ''S. axillaris'' with a maximum published [[total length]] of {{cvt|38|cm}} while with a maximum published total length of {{cvt|20|cm}} ''S. nigricauda'' is the smallest species.<ref name = Fishbase/>
==Distribution== ''Spicara'' picarels are found mainly in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the western Indian Ocean.<ref name = Fishbase/> There is one species ''S. martinicum'' which is known only from its [[holotype]] collected off the island of [[Martinique]] in the [[Caribbean Sea]].<ref name = iucn>{{cite iucn |author=Carpenter, K.E. |author2-link=Kent E. Carpenter |author2=Russell, B. |author3=Pollard, D. |name-list-style=& |year=2014 |title=''Spicara martinicus'' |article-number=e.T170287A1309077 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T170287A1309077.en |access-date=20 February 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1408619}}
[[Category:Sparidae]] [[Category:Spicara| ]] [[Category:Marine fish genera]] [[Category:Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque]] [[Category:Spariform fish genera]]