''Paracaristius'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
ray-finned fish
Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...
in the family
Caristiidae
Caristiidae, the manefishes, are a family of scombriform ray-finned fishes which today includes 19 extant taxon, extant species distributed in four genera.
Taxonomy
The following genera are known:
* ''Caristius'' Theodore Nicholas Gill, Gill ...
, the manefishes. It is a small genus with mostly newly described species.
[Stevenson, D. E. and C. P. Kenaley. (2011)]
Revision of the manefish genus ''Paracaristius'' (Teleostei: Percomorpha: Caristiidae), with descriptions of a new genus and three new species.
''Copeia'' 2011(3) 385-99.
Fish in this genus are separated from similar taxa by the arrangement of their teeth. They have compressed heads with very short snouts, small mouths, and two nostrils. The body is oval to rectangular. The
lateral line
The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelia ...
is not visible. The dorsal fin extends along nearly the whole top edge of the body, and the pectoral fin is "delicate" and "fan-like".
[
'' Neocaristius heemstrai'' has since been moved from ''Paracaristius'' and placed in a new genus of its own.][
]
Species
There are currently four recognized species in this genus:
References
Caristiidae
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