Albula virgata

Bonefish were once believed to be a single species with a global distribution, however 9 different species have since been identified. There are three identified species in the Atlantic and six in the Pacific.[3]

Albula virgata was first described by the American ichthyologist David Starr Jordan and his son Edward Knight Jordan in 1922. It has a somewhat convoluted nomenclatural history. It was originally named Esox argenteus,[4] but that name was already in use for the giant kokopu, and it was later renamed Albula forsteri.[5] However, Forster's taxon is in a genus different than the giant kokopu, and thus Forster's name still stands.[6]

For decades, Albula virgata was considered a synonym of either Albula vulpes or Albula neoguinaica.[7][8] It was eventually recognized as a species distinct from Albula argentea.[9]

Albula virgata is similar to A. argentea and A. oligolepis in length of the upper jaw, but differs in having fewer vertebrae and lateral-line scales, as well as having the tip of pelvic fin reaching beyond anterior edge of anus.[9]

Albula virgata is known only from the Hawaiian Islands. They are thought to be restricted to shallow sand flats, which are a rare and fragmented habitat type in the Hawaiian Islands.[1]