Schindleria brevipinguis

Taxobox
name = "Schindleria brevipinguis"
status = secure
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
subordo = Gobioidei
familia = Schindleriidae
genus = "Schindleria"
species = "S. brevipinguis"
binomial = "Schindleria brevipinguis"
binomial_authority = Watson & Walker, 2004

"Schindleria brevipinguis" is a species of marine fish in family Schindleriidae of Perciformes. Known as the stout infantfish, it is native to Australia's Great Barrier Reef and to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.

"S. brevipinguis" is the second smallest known fish and vertebrate. The species grows to a maximum total length of 8.4 mm (about one-third inch), with males being mature at a length of 7 mm (just over one-quarter inch); the smallest vertebrate species currently is the recently (Jan. 2006) identified "Paedocypris progenetica", while the parasitic males of the anglerfish "Photocorynus spiniceps" are but 6.2 mm "long". "S. brevipinguis" is distinguished from the similar "S. praematura" by having its first anal-fin ray further forward, under dorsal-fin 4, rather than 7–11 in "S. praematura." The body weight is approximately 1 mg (one millionth of a kilogram).

The specific epithet, "brevipinguis," derives from the Latin "brevis" (short) and "pinguis" (stout), in reference to the fish's shorter, thicker body, as compared with other "Schindleria" species.

The first specimen was collected by Jeff Leis in 1979, but the species was not formally described until a 2004 paper (Watson and Walker).

The discovery of "S. brevipinguis" relegated to second place the previous smallest known vertebrate, "Trimmatom nanus," a dwarf goby of the western Indian Ocean.

References

* McGrouther, M., J. Leis, T. Trnski. " [http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/sbrevip.htm Stout Infantfish, "Schindleria brevipinguis"] ". "Fishes: Australian Museum Fish Site." July 2004.
*
* Watson, William, and H. J. Walker, Jr. "The World's Smallest Vertebrate, "Schindleria brevipinguis," a New Paedomorphic Species in the Family Schindleriidae (Perciformes: Gobioidei)". "Records of the Australian Museum" 56: 139-142. [http://www.amonline.net.au/pdf/publications/1429_complete.pdf On-line version (PDF format)] . [http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/img/environment/infantfish080704.jpgPicture of Stout Infantfish]

External links

* [http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/041027_Smallest_Fish.html "Bragging Rights: The Smallest Fish Ever"]
* [http://www.howfishbehave.ca/ Some records in the fish world]