Pomadasys


Pomadasys is a genus of grunts native to the waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and through the Indian Ocean to the Pacific coast of the Americas. The name of this genus is a compound of poma meaning "lid" or "covering" and dasys meaning "rough", a reference to the serrated preopercle.

Species

There are currently 29 recognized species in this genus:Pomadasys aheneus McKay & J. E. Randall, 1995 Pomadasys andamanensis McKay & Satapoomin, 1994Pomadasys argenteus Pomadasys argyreus Pomadasys auritus Pomadasys bipunctatus Kner, 1898Pomadasys commersonnii Pomadasys empherus W. A. Bussing, 1993 Pomadasys furcatus Pomadasys grunniens Pomadasys incisus Pomadasys jubelini Pomadasys kaakan Pomadasys laurentino Pomadasys maculatus Pomadasys multimaculatus Pomadasys olivaceus Pomadasys perotaei Pomadasys punctulatus Pomadasys quadrilineatus S. C. Shen & W. W. Lin, 1984 Pomadasys ramosus Pomadasys rogerii Pomadasys schyrii Steindachner, 1900Pomadasys striatus Pomadasys stridens Pomadasys suillus Pomadasys taeniatus McKay & J. E. Randall, 1995 Pomadasys trifasciatus Fowler, 1937 Pomadasys unimaculatus M. C. Tian, 1982
The fossil species †Pomadasys sadeki is known from the Middle Eocene-aged Mokattam Formation of Egypt.

Systematics

Pomadasys has been subject to some molecular studies which have resolved the genus as paraphyletic. To resolve this paraphyly the genera Rhencus and Rhonciscus were revived with the eastern Pacific species P. macrocanthus and P. panamensis being placed in Rhencus while Rhonicus contains the eastern Pacific species P. bayanus and the western Atlantic species P. crocro.