Kurtus

Kurtus is a genus of percomorph fishes, called the nurseryfishes, forehead brooders, or incubator fish, native to fresh, brackish and coastal marine waters ranging from India, through southeast Asia, to New Guinea and northern Australia. Kurtus is currently the only known genus in the family Kurtidae,<ref name=EoF>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite taxon|main|fishbase|genus=|species=|subspecies=}}</ref> one of two families in the order Kurtiformes.<ref name = Nelson5>Template:Cite book</ref> They are famous for carrying their egg clusters on hooks protruding from the forehead (supraoccipital) of the males, although this only has been documented in K. gulliveri and available evidence strongly suggests this is not done by K. indicus (where the hook likely also is too small to carry embryos).<ref name=berra>Berra, Tim (2003). Nurseryfish, Kurtus gulliveri (Perciformes: Kurtidae), from northern Australia: redescription, distribution, egg mass, and comparison with K. indicus from southeast Asia. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters 14(4): 295–306.</ref> Females do not have a hook.<ref name=berra/>

File:Nurseryfish in net.jpg

Male Nurseryfish with embryos - photographed inside net by Time M. Berra

In addition to the egg hook, the kurtid gas bladder is enclosed in a tubular bony structure evolved from the ribs. In both species, the back is elevated into a hump shapeTemplate:Cn.

Despite their unusual reproductive habits, little is known about these species. Historically, they have proven very difficult to keep alive in aquaria, although recent success with K. gulliveri has been achieved by Tokyo Sea Life Park in JapanTemplate:Cn.

Species

The currently recognized species in this genus are:<ref name=FishBase>{{#invoke:Cite taxon|main|fishbase|genus=|species=|subspecies=}}</ref>

• Kurtus gulliveri Castelnau, 1878 (nurseryfish)
• Kurtus indicus Bloch, 1786 (Indian humphead)

References

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