TETRADON : GLOBE FISH
CLASSIFICATION OF TETRADON : GLOBE FISH
Phylum :- CHORDATA ( Notochord and dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill-slits present).
Group :- CRANIATA ( Cranium with brain present ).
Subphylum :- VERTEBRATA (Vertebral column present ).
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present ).
Super class :- PISCES (Paired fins , gills and skin with scales)
Class :- OSTEICHTHYES ( Bony fishes ).
SUB-CLASS :- ACTINOPTYERGII ( Ray finned fish ).
SUPER ORDER :- TELEOISTEI ( Bony fish proper).
Order :- PLECTOGNATHI (Body globose, jaws short. Teeth strong incisors. Scales bony or spiny. Gill clefts
small).
FAMILY :- TETRADONTIDAE
GENUS :- Tetradon
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Tetradon is marine (several entering and occurring in brackish and fresh water). Tropical and sub-tropical, Atlantic and Indian Sea.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Tetradon is a marine fish. diets can vary depending on their environment. Traditionally, their diet consists mostly of algae and small invertebrates.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF TETRADON : GLOBE FISH
- Commonly called as globe-fish or puffers. Body divided into head, trunk and tail.
- Body is light brown along the back and dark brown bands are found from the back upto the sides. From snout to dorsal fin, oval light spots are found in large numbers.
- Head and anterior part of body very large and without scales. Head contains large rounded eye, nostril and mouth.
- Body is rounded and can adapt according to need; it may be flattened or balloon-like.
- Pre-maxillaries are united to maxillaries. Teeth in each jaw are fused to form a beak but are separated by sutures.
- There is one nasal opening on either side, found on a papilla. Eyes are large.
- Dorsal fin opposite to anal fin. Gill opening present near the pectoral. Operculum is present just done the gill opening.
- Lateral line present.
- Body is covered with small spiny, sub-imbricate bony laminae.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
In Japan dried skin is used in making lanterns. Sometimes doctors prescribe this fish in certain lung infections.
SPECIAL FEATURE
The puffer fish is commonly called as Fugu in Japan and is said to contain a powerful alkaloid poison called as tetradotoxin, in liver, ovaries and viscera and eating this fish may be fatal.
The puffer’s unique and distinctive natural defenses help compensate for its slow locomotion. It moves by combining pectoral, dorsal, anal, and caudal fin motions. This makes it highly maneuverable, but very slow, so a comparatively easy predation target.
IDENTIFICATION
This fish has bony sub-imbricate laminae and above features hence, it is Tetradon.
REFERENCES
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetraodon
- Book of Practical Zoology VERTEBRATE by S.S.LAL – Rastogi Publications.
- Source of images :- wiki
