Family ARGENTINIDAE

Argentinidae

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Introduction

The Argentinidae comprise two genera and 28 species (Eschmeyer & Fong 2014) and are found in all oceans (Kobyliansky 1998; Nelson 2006). Three described species in two genera are known from Australian waters (Paxton et al. 2006).

Herring smelts are benthopelagic on the outer shelf and upper slope of all oceans, rarely to 1400 m, and are carnivores, feeding on epibenthic and some pelagic invertebrates and fishes (Paxton & Cohen 1999). Maximum size is about 56 cm.

Argentinids were revised, as a subfamily, by Cohen (1958, 1964). Cohen & Atsaides (1970) revised the genus Argentina. Relationships of the genera of argentinids and bathylagids have been the subject of some debate. Ahlstrom et al. (1984) and Begle (1992) removed the subfamily Microstomatinae and its three genera from Argentinidae, assigning it familial rank, more closely related to the Bathylagidae. At least one undescribed species is known from Australian waters. A comprehensive revision of the family is needed.

General References

Ahlstrom, E.H., Moser, H.G. & Cohen, D.M. 1984. Argentinoidei: development and relationships. pp. 155-169 figs 82-88 in Moser, H.G. et al. (eds). Ontogeny and Systematics of Fishes. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Special Publication 1: 1-760

Begle, D.P. 1992. Monophyly and relationships of argentinoid fishes. Copeia 1992(2): 350-366

Cohen, D.M. 1958. A revision of the fishes of the subfamily Argentininae. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum. Biological Sciences 3(3): 93-172 figs 1-9

Cohen, D.M. 1964. Suborder Argentinoidea. In, Olsen, Y.H. (ed.) Fishes of the Western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(4): 1-70 figs 1-20

Cohen, D.M. & Atsaides, S.P. 1970. Additions to a revision of argentinine fishes. Fishery Bulletin (U.S.) 68(1): 13-36 figs 1-13

Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fong, J.D. 2014. Species of Fishes by family/subfamily. Catalog of Fishes. Online version updated 19 May 2014. http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp

Kobyliansky, S.G. 1998. Four new Indo-Pacific species and a new key to species of the genus Glossanodon (Argentinidae). Voprosy Ikhtiologii 38(6): 725-736

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E., Bray, D.J. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Argentinidae. pp. 369-370 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp.

Paxton, J.R. & Cohen, D.M. 1999. Families Argentinidae, Microstomatidae, Bathylagidae, Opisthoproctidae. pp. 1884-1887 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. [1884]

Common Name References

Paxton, J.R. & Cohen, D.M. 1999. Families Argentinidae, Microstomatidae, Bathylagidae, Opisthoproctidae. pp. 1884-1887 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. [1884] (FAO) (Argentines)

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