Xyrichtys
Xyrichtys is a genus of wrasses native to the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, where they are found in sandy-bottomed habitats. They are commonly known as razorfishes, as they are very laterally compressed with a sharp bony ridge at the front of their heads. This adaptation allows them to burrow very quickly into the sand at any sign of danger.
| Xyrichtys | |
|---|---|
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| Rosy razorfish (X. martinicensis) | |
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| Pearly razorfish (X. novacula) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Labriformes |
| Family: | Labridae |
| Genus: | Xyrichtys G. Cuvier, 1814 |
| Type species | |
| Coryphaena novacula Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Species
The 11 currently recognized species in this genus are:[1]
- Xyrichtys blanchardi (Cadenat & Marchal, 1963) (marmalade razorfish)
- Xyrichtys incandescens A. J. Edwards & Lubbock, 1981 (Brazilian razorfish)
- Xyrichtys javanicus (Bleeker, 1862) (Java razorfish)
- Xyrichtys martinicensis Valenciennes, 1840 (rosy razorfish)
- Xyrichtys mundiceps T. N. Gill, 1862 (Cape razorfish)
- Xyrichtys novacula (Linnaeus, 1758) (pearly razorfish)
- Xyrichtys rajagopalani Venkataramanujam, Venkataramani & Ramanathan, 1987 (Rajagopalan's razorfish)
- Xyrichtys sanctaehelenae (Günther, 1868) (yellow razorfish)
- Xyrichtys splendens Castelnau, 1855 (green razorfish)
- Xyrichtys victori Wellington, 1992 (Galapagos razorfish)
- Xyrichtys wellingtoni G. R. Allen & D. R. Robertson, 1995 (Clipperton razorfish)
Gallery
X. splendens
X. splendens illustration
References
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). Species of Xyrichtys in FishBase. October 2013 version.
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