Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Champsodontidae

Champsodontidae

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CAAB: 37401000

Family CHAMPSODONTIDAE

Gapers


Compiler and date details

16 September 2015 - Dianne J. Bray, Douglass F. Hoese & John R. Paxton

May 2012 - Dianne J. Bray, Douglass F. Hoese & John R. Paxton

Introduction

Nemeth (1994) revised the Champsodontidae, recognising one genus and 13 species from the world's oceans. Nine species are recorded from Australia.

Champsodontids, or gapers, are benthic over the continental shelf and slope in Australia to depths 50–600 m, with a maximum recorded depth elsewhere at 1100 m. They are small sized, reaching a maximum size of less than 15 cm.

Relationships of the family are uncertain (Nelson 1994, 2006). Johnson (1993) suggested a relationship with scorpaeniform fishes and Mooi & Johnson (1997) provided further evidence in support of this thesis. Molecular studies have not supported a scorpaeniform relationship, but placed the group as an unnamed clade with close relationship to the Creediidae and Hemerocoetinae (Near et al. 2015).

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
08-Oct-2015 TRACHINOIDEI 16-Sep-2015 MODIFIED Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM)
22-Sep-2011 22-Sep-2011 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)