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The anatomy of the Tasmanian parrot fish Pseudolabrus tetricus (Richardson) in detail

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posted on 2023-05-27, 13:00 authored by Wu, Paul Ching-ning
The parrot fishes of the family Labridae are brilliantly coloured, perch-like, elongate-oval, moderately compressed fishes of small to large size. Essentially they live in tropical regions but some occur in cooler Taamanian waters. These hebivorous or carnivorous fishes hide themself in coral reefs and among sea weeds. They have been called tuskfish because the mouth is equipped with the protruding tusk-like canines anteriorly in the jaw. Cheeks and operculum are scaled but the serrated preoperculum flange is naked. The single dorsal fin has 1st part with 11-13 spines and 2nd part of soft rays. Anal fin has 3 spines. Pectoral fins are moderately large and ventral fins thoracic. Caudal fin is round or truncate. Two nostrils are on each side and the 4th gill arch is with a single gill lamella. Its scales are large cycloid and mostly brightly coloured and sometimes form the low basal sheaths of the dorsal and anal fina and the covering of the base of the caudal fin. The musculature on the head and trunk have no large difference among the 3 species of the genus Pseudolabrus. The muscle of most species is soft and not particular tasty. The structure of the digestive tract of these 3 species is very similar and can be divided into 6 parts: mouth cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestinal bulb and intestine, which are lined with a soft mucous membrane. Because its colour markings, body proportions, development of fins, distribution of scales and sex dimorphism change with age, many of the species are difficult to be identified on external features and internal structure. Those fishes of this family are not perfectly classified yet.

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Copyright 1979 the author - The University is continuing to endeavour to trace the copyright owner(s) and in the meantime this item has been reproduced here in good faith. We would be pleased to hear from the copyright owner(s). Thesis (MSc)--University of Tasmania, 1981

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