Zeugopterus regius

Zeugopterus regius, Eckström's topknot or Bloch's topknot, is a small, left eyed flatfish in the turbot family Scophthalmidae found in European waters.

Zeugopterus regius
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Pleuronectiformes
Family: Scophthalmidae
Genus: Zeugopterus
Species:
Z. regius
Binomial name
Zeugopterus regius
Synonyms [3]
  • Phrynorhombus regius (Bonnaterre, 1788)
  • Pleuronectes regius (Bonnaterre, 1788)
  • Phrynorhombus unimaculatus (Risso, 1820)

Description

Zeugopterus regius is a relatively broad bodied, left-eyed flatfish which has a small head with a deep notch to the front of the upper eye. The anal and dorsal fins continue on to the underside of the body, forming distinct lobes. It is pale brown in colour with irregular darker patches and a dark blotch towards the tail end. The maximum length of an adult fish is around 20 centimetres (7.9 in).[4]

Biology

Zeugopterus regius is found over rocky substrates, less frequently on sandy seafloors. It feeds on invertebrates and small fish. The breeding season falls between February and August. It is sometimes found on the underside or rock overhangs but not as often as its cogener, the common topknot, Zeugopterus punctatus.[5]

Distribution

This is a fish of the eastern Atlantic, occurring from the British Isles to Morocco and extending into the western Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea.[5]

References
  1. Munroe, T.; Costa, M.; Nielsen, J.; Herrera, J. & de Sola, L. (2015). "Zeugopterus regius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T198733A45791335. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  2. "Zeugopterus regius (Bonnaterre, 1788)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  3. "Zeugopterus regius (Bonnaterre, 1788)- Eckstrom's Topknot".
  4. "Zeugopterus regius - Marine Life Encyclopedia". Natural History Museum, London.
  5. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). "Zeugopterus regius" in FishBase. August 2019 version.
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