Family APLOACTINIDAE

Aploactinidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Aploactisoma milesii, holotype of Aploactis milesii

© Copyright Richardson, 1850

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Introduction

The Aploactinidae comprise approximately 49 species belonging to 17 genera (Johnson 2013). Twenty-one described species and 14 genera are thus far known from Australia. Aploactinids (velvetfishes) are closely allied to scorpaenids (scorpionfishes), and are confined to the western Pacific and Indian oceans. One has been identified as a member of the Paraploactis kagoshimensis complex from Australia, but the precise identity of that species has not been determined (J. Johnson, in litt.).

Although little is known of the ecology and life history, most velvetfishes are likely to inhabit crevices on rocky coral rubble, or coralline algae substrates, or amongst vegetation, while some are common on trawl grounds. Food items include small benthic invertebrates and fishes. Most species are less than 10 cm standard length.

Poss & Eschmeyer (1978) revised Paraploactis and Poss (1999) provided a key to many tropical species. Johnson (2004) described two new species and a new genus from Australia, and in 2012 and 2013, described a further two Australian species .

General References

Johnson, J.W. 2004. Two new species and two new records of aploactinid fishes (Pisces: Scorpaeniformes) from Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 56(2): 179-188

Johnson, J.W. 2012. Pseudopataecus carnatobarbatus, a new species of velvetfish (Teleostei: Scorpaeniformes: Aploactidae) from the Kimberley coast of Western Australia. Zootaxa 3245: 54-62

Johnson, J.W. 2013. Kanekonia leichhardti, a new species of velvetfish (Actinopterygii: Scorpaeniformes: Aploactinidae) from the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum - Nature 58: 397-410

Poss, S.G. 1999. Families Scorpaenidae, Caracanthidae, Aploactinidae. pp. 2291-2358 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790.

Poss, S.G. & Eschmeyer, W.N. 1978. Two new Australian velvetfishes, genus Paraploactis (Scorpaeniformes : Aploactinidae) with a revision of the genus and comments on the genera and species of the Aploactinidae. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 41(18): 401-426 figs 1-14

Common Name References

Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. [506] (Velvetfishes)

Poss, S.G. 1999. Families Scorpaenidae, Caracanthidae, Aploactinidae. pp. 2291-2358 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790. [2354] (FAO) (Velvetfishes)

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