Introduction

Bandfishes occur in the Indo-west Pacific and eastern Atlantic and are characterised by having a very oblique mouth.

Two subfamilies are known, Cepolinae and Owstoniinae (Nelson 2006), but genera are not assigned to these here. Mok (1988) provided evidence for the relationship of the two groups. Members of the Cepolinae are elongate and normally occur in burrows in coastal regions out to the continental shelf, whereas Owstoniinae are usually free-swimming, occurring in deeper water on the continental shelf and onto the continental slope. Members of the Owstoniinae were once included in their own family, Owstonidae (with only the genus Owstonia), but were combined with the Cepolidae by Smith-Vaniz (1986). The maximum length is 70 cm.

In Australia, three genera and 17 species are known. Smith-Vaniz & Johnson (2016) revised Owstonia describing 21 new species. Previously three species were known in the subfamily Owstoniinae from Australia, with two being misidentifications of other species. Twelve species are now recognised from Australia, along with other unknown species based only on larval stages. Currently the names in use in Australia for Acanthocepla and Cepola are tentative and further work is needed on the group. They are poorly known and not well represented in collections. A key that includes some Australian species of Cepolinae is presented in Smith-Vaniz (2001).

General References

Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. 2006. 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. [1360]

Mok., H.-K. 1988. Osteological evidence for the monophyly of Cepolidae and Owstoniidae. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 34(4): 507-508

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

Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1986. Family No. 226: Cepolidae. pp. 727-728, figs 226.1-226.2 in Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (eds). Smith's Sea Fishes. Johannesburg : Macmillan South Africa xx + 1047 pp. 144 pls.

Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 2001. Cepolidae. pp. 3331-3332 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. 5 2791-3379 pp.

Smith-Vaniz, W.F. & Johnson, G.D. 2016. Hidden diversity in deep-water bandfishes: review of Owstonia with descriptions of twenty-one new species (Teleostei: Cepolidae: Owstoniinae). Zootaxa 4187(1): 1–103

Common Name References

Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 2001. Cepolidae. pp. 3331-3332 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. 5 2791-3379 pp. [3331] (Bandfishes)

History of changes

• Acanthocepola Bleeker, P. 1874. Typi nonnulli generici piscum neglecti. Verslagen en Mededeelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen (Afdeeling Natuurjunde). Amsterdam 2 8: 367-371 [369].

  Type species:

   Cepola krusensternii Temminck & Schlegel, 1845 by original designation.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Indo-west Pacific.

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

History of changes

• Cepola abbreviata Valenciennes, A. in Cuvier, G.L. & Valenciennes, A. 1835. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : Levrault Vol. 10 482 pp. pls 280-306. [403].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) MNHP A.7123, Java.

Generic Combinations

• Acanthocepola abbreviata (Valenciennes, 1835). —
  Jordan, D.S. & Seale, A. 1907. Fishes of the islands of Luzon and Panay. Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries (U.S.) for 1906 26: 1-48 figs 1-20 [27]

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Shark Bay, WA (25°20'S) to Bowen, QLD (20°01'S) and possibly south to Deception Bay (27°12'S), QLD; tropical, Indo-west Pacific.

IMCRA

Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental shelf, marine.

General References

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls. [174]

Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls. [108]

Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 2001. Cepolidae. pp. 3331-3332 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. 5 2791-3379 pp. [3332]

Weber, M. & de Beaufort, L.F. 1936. The Fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Perciformes (continued). Leiden : Brill Vol. 7 607 pp. 106 figs. [553]

Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [47] (1372)

Common Name References

Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls. [108] (Bandfish)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Yellowspotted Bandfish)

History of changes