Caracanthus

Caracanthus madagascariensis

Fur bullheads ( Caracanthus ( Gr.: " kara " = face " akantha " = thorn ) ) is a genus of small between stony corals live marine fish of the family Scorpaenidae ( Scorpaenidae ). They are also called coral stools, are the only genus of the order monotypic subfamily Caracanthinae and include four species.

Fur bullheads live in harems with one male and several females in the tropical region of the Pacific and the Indian Ocean between the branches of the branches growing hard coral genera Acropora, Pocillopora and Stylopora. There they grapple with their strong pectoral fins.

Features

Fur bullheads are three to five inches long. They have a stocky, strongly laterally flattened body. Instead of shed her skin is densely covered with small rough dermal papilla, which gives them their furry. The lateral line is protected by tubular scales. Fur bullheads are about 5 inches tall. The mouth is terminal and small. The only dorsal fin is divided by an incision in the supported six to eight spines part and 11 to 14 soft fin rays supported part. Like all Scorpion fish have fur bullheads venom glands in the rays of the dorsal fins. The anal fin has two spines and 11 to 14 soft rays, the pectoral fins 11 to 14 fin rays. The tiny pelvic fins are supported by a spine and two or three short soft rays.

Way of life

Similar to the Korallengrundeln the fur bullheads live in the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific hiding in ästigen stony corals ( Scleractinia ) of the genus Acropora and the Pocilloporidae family. They swim poorly and feed on crustaceans and other small animals that fall between the coral branches.

Species

• Caracanthus maculatus (Gray, 1831)
• Caracanthus madagascariensis ( Guichenot, 1869)
• Caracanthus typicus Krøyer, 1845
• Caracanthus unipinna (Gray, 1831)