Family CHEILODACTYLIDAE

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Introduction

Most members of the Cheilodactylidae occur in the temperate waters of Australia, Japan, and South Africa. Worldwide, the family includes approximately 22 species belonging to four genera. Twelve species in three genera are found in Australian seas.

The morwongs mainly inhabit temperate and subtropical rocky reefs. They are bottom-dwelling fishes that live individually or in small groups. Their diet consists primarily of benthic invertebrates. The body is rather elongate, and laterally compressed. Distinctive features include a single long-based dorsal fin, one or more filamentous extensions on the pectoral fin, and large, fleshy lips. The maximum size attained by adults generally ranges from about 35 to 80 cm. Lowry & Cappo (1999) summarised the ecology of the species.

A key to Australian species and table of nominal species is presented by Allen & Heemstra (1976) and Randall (1983) treated some species. Most Australian species are treated in Randall (2001). The name Chilodactylus nigrescens Saville-Kent, 1897 is not available as no distinguishing features were given.

Molecular studies suggest that the genus Cheilodactylus may be polyphyletic (Burridge & Smolenski 2004; Burridge & White 2000). Randall (2001, 2005) recognised Goniistius and indicated that Cheilodactylus will be restricted to South African species, based on unpublished information provided by Burridge. We do not accept taxonomic changes in popular books, particularly where the work has been done by another worker, and retain the existing classification until a more thorough scientific work is published. Burridge & Smolenski (2004) and Burridge & White (2000) did not find evidence for monophyly of Goniistius. Burridge & Smolenski (2004) did indicate that the two South African species were monophyletic and distinct from other Cheilodactylus and also recommended that the Latridae and Cheilodactylidae be combined into a single family based on on mitochondrial DNA studies. Some workers have followed that recommendation (see Francis 2001; Randall 2005). Burridge (2004) treated Goniistius as a subgenus of Cheilocactylus. We retain the current classification until further support from morphology or nuclear genes is found.

 

General References

Allen, G.R. & Heemstra, P.C. 1976. Cheilodactylus rubrolabiatus, a new species of morwong (Pisces : Cheilodactylidae) from Western Australia, with a key to the cheilodactylid fishes of Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 4(4): 311-325 figs 1-2

Burridge, C.P. 2004. Cheilodactylus (Goniistius) francisi, a new species of Morwong (Perciformes: Cirrhitoidea) from the southwest Pacific. Records of the Australian Museum 56: 231-234

Burridge, C.P. & Smolenski, A.J. 2004. Molecular phylogeny of the Cheilodactylidae and Latridae (Perciformes: Cirrhitoidea) with notes on taxonomy and biogeography. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 30: 118–127

Burridge, C.P. & White R.W.G. 2000. Molecular phylogeny of the antitropical subgenus Goniistius (Perciformes: Cheilodactylidae: Cheilodactylus): evidence for multiple transequatoral divergences and non-monophyly. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society of London 70: 435-458

Francis, M. 2001. Coastal Fishes of New Zealand. Auckland : Reed Publishing (NZ) 3rd edn, 103 pp.

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. [1355]

Lowry, M. & Cappo, M. 1999. Morwongs. pp. 172-179 in Andrew, N. (ed.). Under Southern Seas -— The ecology of Australia's rocky reefs. Sydney : University of New South Wales Press 238 pp.

McCulloch, A.R. & Waite, E.R. 1916. Additions to the fish fauna of Lord Howe Island. No. 5. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 40: 437-451 pls 40-43 [pl. 43]

Randall, J.E. 1983. A review of the fishes of the subgenus Goniistius, genus Cheilodactylus, with description of a new species from Easter Island and Rapa. Occasional Papers of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum 25: 1-24

Randall, J.E. 2001. Cirrhitidae, Cheilodactylidae. pp. 3321-3330 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.

Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp.

 

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. [644] (Morwongs)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
13-Nov-2012		13-Nov-2012	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)