Scatophagidae

Taxobox
name = Scats

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = ("Scatophagus argus")
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Scatophagidae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Scatophagus" "Selenotoca" See text for species.

The scats are a small family, Scatophagidae, of fishes in the order Perciformes.

They are small fishes native to the Indian and western Pacific Ocean that have been popular in the aquarium trade in the last 30 years. Although juvenile scats may live in a freshwater environment, most adult scats prefer and do best in a brackish water environment with 3-4 teaspoons of salt per 2.5 gallons of water once they reach adulthood. However, the African Scat, "Scatophagus tetracanthus", can and does live in freshwater in the wild and is even known to reproduce in freshwater.Dubious|date=March 2008 The largest species reaches 38 cm in length and some have been known to live more than twenty years in captivity given the proper water conditions. They are scavengers, feeding on algae and feces, hence their name, from Greek "skatos" meaning "feces" and "phagein" meaning "eat". Ideal tank mates include: Puffers, Monos, Archers, and other Brackish water fish.

pecies

There are four species in two genera.
* Genus "Scatophagus" Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1831
** "Scatophagus argus" – Common Scat, Green Scat, Ruby Scat
** "Scatophagus tetracanthus" – African Scat (Lacépède, 1802).
* Genus "Selenotoca" Myers, 1936
** "Selenotoca multifasciata" – Silver Scat (Richardson, 1846).
** "Selenotoca papuensis" – Moon Scat Fraser-Brunner, 1938.

References

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