Plectrogenium

Plectrogenium nanum

The sting flatheads ( Plectrogenium (Size: plectrum = something to poke, genos = race) ) is a genus of small marine fishes of the order Perciformes ( Perciformes ).

There are two types, Plectrogenium barsukovi Mandrytsa, 1992 from the southeastern Pacific and Plectrogenium nanum Gilbert, 1905 from the central Indo-Pacific. The fish live in depths from 250 to 650 meters.

Features

Plectrogenium species are only 5.15 to 6.8 cm long. Your body is flattened, the head provided with bony ridges and spines. The gill membranes are not grown together at the isthmus. Their dorsal fin is supported by twelve spines and seven soft rays, the anal fin of three spines and five soft rays. The spines of dorsal, anal and pelvic fins are with poison glands connected. The number of vertebrae is 25 to 27

System

The systematic position of the fish is controversial. In Fishbase they form a separate, mono generic family. The American ichthyologist Joseph S. Nelson will arrange it as subfamily Plectrogeniinae to the scorpionfish ( Scorpaenidae ), but admits a possible relationship with the Platycephaloidei ( gurnard and relatives ). At the World Register of Marine Species, they are assigned as the family of the suborder Platycephaloidei.