Family ALEPISAURIDAE

Alepisauridae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

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Introduction

The family Alepisauridae was reviewed by Gibbs & Wilimovsky (1966) who recognised two species in a single genus Alepisaurus. Francis (1981) recorded both species from the south-west Pacific and both occur in Australian waters. Johnson & Baldwin (1996) also included Omosudis in the Alepisauridae. Omosudis was reviewed by Ege (1958) and Rofen (1966) who recognised a single species in this circumglobal bathypelagic genus. Paxton & Niem (1999) and Stewart (2015) treated Omosudis as belonging to a monotypic family.

Alepisaurids are meso- and bathypelagic fishes found worldwide. They are predators with large canines on the palatine and lower jaw; recorded prey items include fishes, cephalopods, tunicates and crustaceans. Other characteristics include an elongate body, a high, long dorsal fin and no scales or light organs. Maximum size reached is 2.1 m.

General References

Baldwin, C.C. & Johnson, G.D. 1996. Interrelationships of Aulopiformes. pp. 355-404 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 pp.

Ege, V. 1958. Omosudis Günther, bathypelagic genus of fish. Dana Reports 47: 1-19 figs 1-3

Francis, M.P. 1981. Meristic and morphometric variation in the lancet fish Alepisaurus, with notes on the distribution of A. ferox and A. brevirostris. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 8(3): 403-408 fig. 1

Gibbs, R.H. & Wilimovsky, N.J. 1966. Family Alepisauridae in Olsen, Y.H. (ed.) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(5): 482-497 figs 173-176

Paxton, J.R. & Niem, V.H. 1999. Families Paralepididae, Anotopteridae, Evermannellidae, Omosudidae, Alepisauridae, Giganturidae. pp. 1948-1954 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.

Rofen, R.R. 1966. Family Omosudidae. In, Olsen, Y.H. (ed.) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(5): 462-481 figs 163-172

Stewart, A.L. 2015. Families Paralepididae, Anotopteridae, Evermannellidae, Omosudidae. pp. 581-606 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 3 pp. 577-1152.

Common Name References

Paxton, J.R. & Niem, V.H. 1999. Families Paralepididae, Anotopteridae, Evermannellidae, Omosudidae, Alepisauridae, Giganturidae. pp. 1948-1954 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068. [1953] (FAO) (Lancetfishes)

Whitley, G.P. 1966. Marine Fishes of Australia. Brisbane : Jacaranda Press Vol. 1 pp. 1-142. [38] (Lancetfishes)

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