Introduction

Members of the Chirocentridae are found in the tropical waters of the Indian and west-central Pacific Oceans from South Africa to southern Japan and Fiji. One genus and two species are recognised. Both species have been recorded from Australia and are treated in Munroe et al. (1999).

Although related to the Clupeidae and Engraulidae, wolf herrings have large canine teeth in the jaws and lack scutes on the belly. These voracious predators may attain 1.7 m in length, although Australian specimens rarely reach 1.5 m.

Chirocentrids have not been reviewed comprehensively, although Whitehead (1974, 1985) summarised the differences between the two recognised species. Grande (1985) questioned the relationships with clupeiform fishes.

General References

Grande, L. 1985. Recent and fossil clupeomorph fishes with materials for revision of the subgroups of clupeoids. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 181(2): 231-372

Munroe, T.A., Nizinski, M.S. & Wongratana, T. 1999. Family Chirocentridae. pp. 1771-1774 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.

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1974. Family Chirocentridae. 6 pp. 6 figs in Fischer, W. & Whitehead, P.J.P. (eds) FAO Species Identification Sheets for Fishing Purposes, Eastern Indian Ocean and Western Central Pacific (fishing areas 57 and 71). Rome : FAO Vol. 1.

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1985. FAO species catalog. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). Part 1 — Chirocentridae, Clupeidae and Pristigasteridae. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 7 Pt 1. pp. 1-303

Common Name References

Munroe, T.A., Nizinski, M.S. & Wongratana, T. 1999. Family Chirocentridae. pp. 1771-1774 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. [1773] (FAO) (Wolf-herrings)

History of changes

• Chirocentrus Cuvier, G.L. 1816. Le Règne Animal, distribué d'après son organisation, pour servir de base a l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction a l'anatomie comparée. Les reptiles et les poisons. Paris : Déterville Vol. 2 pp. 104-351. [178].

  Type species:

   Clupea dorab Forsskål, 1775 by monotypy.

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 Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • 200 m bathymetric: Great Barrier Reef, Gulf of Carp., N coast, NE coast, NW coast
  • Northern Territory: Gulf of Carpentaria, N coast
  • Queensland: Central E coast, Gulf of Carpentaria, NE coast
  • Western Australia: N coast, NW coast

General References

Munroe, T.A., Nizinski, M.S. & Wongratana, T. 1999. Family Chirocentridae. pp. 1771-1774 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.

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1985. FAO species catalog. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). Part 1 — Chirocentridae, Clupeidae and Pristigasteridae. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 7 Pt 1. pp. 1-303

History of changes

• Clupea dorab Forsskål, P. 1775. Descriptiones Animalium Avium, Amphibiorum, Piscium, Insectorum, Vermium; quæ in Itinere Orientali observavit Petrus Forskål. Post Mortem Auctoris edidit Carsten Niebuhr. Adjuncta est Materia Medica Kakirina atque Tabula Maris Rubri Geographica. Hauniæ : Mölleri 1-19, i-xxxiv, 164 pp., 1 map. [72].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) whereabouts unknown, Jidda (as Djedda), Saudi Arabia and Mocha, Yemen, Red Sea
  Comment: neotype designation by (Fricke, R., 1999) [81], but invalid according to (Eschmeyer, W.N., 1998).

  Type locality references:

  Eschmeyer, W.N. 1998. Catalog of Fishes. San Francisco : California Academy of Sciences 2905 pp., 3 vols.; Fricke, R. 1999. Fishes of the Mascarene Islands (Réunion, Mauritius, Rodriguez). An annotated checklist with descriptions of new species. Theses Zoologicae 31: 1-759 figs 1-9.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Northwest shelf, Learmouth, WA (22º15´S) to Moreton Bay, QLD (27º25´S); tropical, Indo-west Pacific.

IMCRA

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

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Northern Territory: Gulf of Carpentaria, N coast
  • Queensland: Central E coast, Gulf of Carpentaria, NE coast
  • Western Australia: N coast, NW coast

Ecological Descriptors

Continental shelf, inshore, pelagic.

Extra Ecological Information

To 120 m.

General References

Gloerfelt-Tarp, T. & Kailola, P.J. 1984. Trawled Fishes of Southern Indonesia and Northwest Australia. Jakarta : Dir. Gen. Fish. (Indonesia), German Tech. Coop., Aust. Dev. Ass. Bur. 406 pp. [53]

Johnson, J.W. 1999. Annotated checklist of the fishes of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(2): 709-762 [722]

Larson, H.K. & Williams, R.S. 1997. Darwin Harbour fishes: a survey and annotated checklist. pp. 339-380 in Hanley, H.R., Caswell, G., Megirian, D. & Larson, H.K. (eds). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine Biology Workshop. Darwin : Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 466 pp. [348]

McCulloch, A.R. 1930. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 5(1–4): 1-534 [36]

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [28] (195)

Munroe, T.A., Nizinski, M.S. & Wongratana, T. 1999. Family Chirocentridae. pp. 1771-1774 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. [1773]

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1984. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls. [68]

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1985. FAO species catalog. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). Part 1 — Chirocentridae, Clupeidae and Pristigasteridae. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 7 Pt 1. pp. 1-303 [23]

Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [34] (175)

Common Name References

Grant, E.M. 1975. Guide to Fishes. Brisbane : Queensland Government, Co-ordinator General’s Department 640 pp. [86] (Knife-fish, Leaping Silver-bar, Ribbon-fish, Wolf Herring)

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1984. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls. [68] (Wolf-Herring)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Dorab Wolf Herring)

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1985. FAO species catalog. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). Part 1 — Chirocentridae, Clupeidae and Pristigasteridae. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 7 Pt 1. pp. 1-303 [23] (FAO) (Dorab Wolf-herring)

History of changes

• Chirocentrus nudus Swainson, W. 1839. The natural history and classification of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles. In, Lardner, D. The Cabinet of Natural History. Vol. 2 London : Longman, Orme, Brown, Green & Longmans, and John Taylor 452 pp. 135 figs. [294].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, whereabouts unknown (based on pl. 199 in Russell, P. 1803. Descriptions and Figures of 200 Fishes, Collected at Vizagapatam on the Coast of Coromandel. London : East India Co. Vol. 1, 78 pp.; Vol. 2, 85 pp.; 208 pls), no locality.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

From about Melville Island, NT (131ºE) to Thursday Island, QLD (142ºE); tropical, Indo-west Pacific.

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Northern Territory: Gulf of Carpentaria, N coast
  • Queensland: Gulf of Carpentaria

Ecological Descriptors

Continental shelf, inshore, pelagic.

General References

Munroe, T.A., Nizinski, M.S. & Wongratana, T. 1999. Family Chirocentridae. pp. 1771-1774 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. [1774]

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1985. FAO species catalog. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). Part 1 — Chirocentridae, Clupeidae and Pristigasteridae. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 7 Pt 1. pp. 1-303 [24]

Common Name References

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Whitefin Wolf Herring)

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1985. FAO species catalog. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). Part 1 — Chirocentridae, Clupeidae and Pristigasteridae. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 7 Pt 1. pp. 1-303 [24] (FAO) (Whitefin Wolf-herring)

History of changes