| Beaked salmon | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Gonorynchus greyi | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gonorynchiformes |
| Family: | Gonorynchidae |
| Genus: | Gonorynchus Scopoli ex Gronow, 1777 |
| Type species | |
| Cyprinus gonorynchus Linnaeus, 1766 | |
Gonorynchus is a genus of long thin gonorynchiform ray-finned fish, commonly called beaked salmon or beaked sandfish that live on sandy bottoms near shorelines. There are five known extant species which are placed in this genus.[2] All have a distinctive angular snout (hence the name) that the fish use to dig themselves into the sand.
The most widespread species is Gonorynchus gonorynchus, found in scattered locations worldwide. It can reach up to 60 cm (24 in) in length. It is a nocturnal fish, feeding on invertebrates at night and burrowing into sand or mud during the day.[1]
Beaked salmon are fished commercially in some areas. The flesh of Gonorynchus greyi, found around Australia and New Zealand, is reported to be "firm and of good flavour".[3]
Species[4]
- Gonorynchus abbreviatus Temminck & Schlegel, 1846
- Gonorynchus forsteri J. D. Ogilby, 1911
- Gonorynchus gonorynchus (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Gonorynchus greyi (J. Richardson, 1845)
- Gonorynchus moseleyi D. S. Jordan & Snyder, 1923
References
- ^ a b Banister, Keith F. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 97. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2011). Species of Gonorynchus in FishBase. June 2011 version.
- ^ Fishbase
- ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). "Gonorynchidae" in FishBase. June 2011 version.