Family BERYCIDAE

Berycidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Centroberyx gerrardi

© Copyright A.R. McCulloch 1911

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Introduction

The Berycidae comprise two genera and nine or ten species (Paxton 1999). Two genera and six species occur in Australian waters.

Redfishes, nannygais and alfonsinos are found in tropical and temperate marine waters of the shelf and slope to a depth of 1240 m, where they feed on crustaceans and fishes. They have a large mouth and eye, strongly ctenoid scales, one spine and 7-13 rays in the pelvic fins and are generally red in colour. Several species are important commercially. The maximum length for the family is 60 cm.

The berycids were reviewed by Woods & Sonoda (1973), Busakhin (1982) and Kotlyar (1996). Australian species are treated by Roberts & Gomon (2008).

General References

Busakhin, S.V. 1982. Systematics and distribution of the family Berycidae (Osteichthyes) in the world ocean. Voprosy Ikhtiologii 22(6): 904-921 [in Russian, English translation J. Ichthyol. 22(6): 1–21]

Kotlyar, A.N. 1996. Beryciform Fishes of the World Ocean. Moscow : VNIRO Publishing 368 pp.

McCulloch, A.R. 1911. Report on the fishes obtained by the F.I.S. Endeavour on the coasts of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Part 1. Zoological (Biological) Results. Endeavour 1(1): 1-87 figs 1-20 pls 1-16 [pl. 8]

Paxton, J.R. 1999. Family Berycidae. pp. 2218-2224 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.

Roberts, C.D. & Gomon, M.F. 2008. Family Berycidae. pp. 415-419 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Woods, L.P. & Sonoda, P.M. 1973. Order Berycomorphi (Beryciformes). pp. 263-396 figs 1-66 in Cohen, D.M. (ed.). Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Halosuriforms, Killfishes, Squirrelfishes and other Beryciforms, Stephanoberyciforms, Grenadiers. Yale University : The Sears Foundation of Marine Research Mem. I Pt 6 698 pp.

Common Name References

Paxton, J.R. 1999. Family Berycidae. pp. 2218-2224 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. [2218] (FAO) (Alfonsinos)

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