Achirus lineatus

Super Group: 
Opisthokonta
Phylum: 
Chordata
Sub-Phylum: 
Vertebrata
Class: 
Actinopteri
Order: 
Pleuronectiformes
Family: 
Achiridae
Genus: 
Achirus
Species: 
lineatus
Authority: 
Linnaeus 1758
Synonym(s): 
Pleuronectes lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pleuronectes nigricans (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Achirus comifer (Jordan & Gilbert, 1884)
Baiostoma brachialis (Bean in Goode & Bean, 1882)

Diagnosis

Diagnosis_Genus: Achirus Lacepède. La télé , le corps et la queue très-comprimés ; les deux yeux du même coté de la tête; point de nageoires pectorales.
The head, the body and the tail are very compressed, the two eyes on the same side of the head; no pectoral fin.
 
Diagnosis_Species: Pleuronectes lineatus Linnaeus. oculis dextris, lineis lateralibus septem transversis. Pleuronecles suscus subrotundus glaber, lineis septem nigris transversalibus inter pinnam pectoralem & caudam. Brown, jam. 445. Palter lineis transfers no-277. t. 246. /, 2. Raj. Pise. 157. Habitat in America.

Body_adults_male: 17.0 cm
Body_adults_max_length: 33.1 cm
Body_eggs_length: 3.31 - 4.23 mm (Houde 1977)
Body_larvae_length: 3.32 - 4.59 mm (Houde 1977)
Sequence 16r nDNA: AY359671 (Pardo et al. 2005)

Etymology

Achirus: Greek, a = without + Greek, cheir = hands

Type species

The type species of the genus Achirus is Pleuronectes achirus (Linnaeus, 1758).
 

Type illustration / Type locality / Type specimen

Type locality: America

Ecology

Habitat: Coastal
Habitat: Estuarine
Habitat: Western Atlantic: Florida, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to northern Argentina. Occurs mainly in brackish or hyper-saline lagoons, on sandy-muddy bottoms of estuaries and in the littoral zone where it hides itself leaving just its eyes out. Can easily disguise itself in the environment.
Substrate: water
Salinity: marine
Salinity: brackish
pH: 7.0 - 8.5
Temperature: 24 - 28 °C
Oxygen_level: Oxic
Depth: Epipelagic (1 - 20 m)
Migratory: no

Life cycle

Juveniles have a brief planktonic life, moving quickly to the benthic stage. Its growth rate is relatively slow.
Reproduction_mode: sexual
Sexual_reproduction: External fertilization in the water column
Fertility_period: (during spring and summer)
 

Feeding behaviour

Carnivorous

Mode of locomotion

Motility: motile_swimming

Reference(s)

Observation site(s)

SYMBIONTS

Displaying 1 - 1 of 1
Association with... Region origin Name of site In reference...
Amyloodinium ocellatum Gulf Coast Research Laboratory