Introduction

Baldwin & Johnson (1996) defined the suborder Chlorophthalmoidei. It contains five families of benthic fishes that occur over soft bottoms on the continental shelf and slope to depths over 2000 m.

General References

Baldwin, C.C. & Johnson, G.D. 1996. Interrelationships of Aulopiformes. pp. 355-404 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 pp.

History of changes

Introduction

The family Bathysauroididae contains a single genus and species known from continental shelf waters of the west Pacific (Nelson 2006). Previously Bathysauroides gigas was placed in the Chlorophthalmidae (Nelson 1994) and in the suborder Giganturoidei (Baldwin & Johnson 1996). Sato & Nakabo (2002) recovered Bathysauroides as the basal member of Chlorophthalmoidei, and placed it in its own family. Davis (2010) in an analysis of morphological and molecular characters, concurred with Sato & Nakabo (2002) in retaining Bathysauroides in the family Bathysauroididae, and recovered the group in the suborder Alepisauroidei as sister to the families Giganturidae and Bathysauridae (based on morphological characters). The single species is benthic on the continental slope and attains a maximum size of 29 cm SL.

General References

Baldwin, C.C. & Johnson, G.D. 1996. Interrelationships of Aulopiformes. pp. 355-404 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 pp.

Davis, M.P. 2010. Evolutionary relationships of the Aulopiformes (Euteleostei: Cyclosquamata): a molecular and total evidence approach. pp. 431-470 in Nelson, J.S., Schultze, H.-P. & Wilson, M.V.H. Origin and Phylogenetic Interrelationships of Teleosts. München, Germany : Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil 480 pp.

Nelson, J.S. 1994. Fishes of the World. New York : John Wiley & Sons 600 pp.

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

Sato, T. & Nakabo, T. 2002. Paraulopidae and Paraulopus, a new family and genus of aulopiform fishes with revised relationships within the order. Ichthyological Research 49: 25-46

History of changes

• Bathysauroides Baldwin, C.C. & Johnson, G.D. 1996. Interrelationships of Aulopiformes. pp. 355-404 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 pp. [358].

  Type species:

   Bathysaurops gigas Kamohara, 1952 by original designation.

Distribution

States

Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Tropical, north-west Pacific

IMCRA

Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Cape Province (20), Northwest Transition (3)

Other Regions

Coral Sea Islands Territory

General References

Sato, T. & Nakabo, T. 2002. Paraulopidae and Paraulopus, a new family and genus of aulopiform fishes with revised relationships within the order. Ichthyological Research 49: 25-46 [44]

History of changes

• Bathysaurops gigas Kamohara, T. 1952. Revised descriptions of the offshore bottom-fishes of Prov. Tosa, Shikoku, Japan. Reports of the Kôchi University, Natural Science 3: 1-122 figs 1-100 [14, fig. 11].

  Type data:

   Holotype BSKU 3852, Mimase, Kochi, Japan.

Generic Combinations

• Bathysauropsis gigas (Kamohara, 1952). —
  Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [231]
• Bathysauroides gigas (Kamohara, 1952). —
  Baldwin, C.C. & Johnson, G.D. 1996. Interrelationships of Aulopiformes. pp. 355-404 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 pp. [358] (changed combination as type of genus Bathysauroides)

Distribution

States

Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Off Dampier, WA (19º17´–18º23´S) and off Raine Island (11º35´S) to northwest of Townsville, QLD (17°57'S); tropical, north-west Pacific (Japan).

IMCRA

Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Cape Province (20), Northwest Transition (3)

Other Regions

Coral Sea Islands Territory

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental slope.

General References

Davis, M.P. 2010. Evolutionary relationships of the Aulopiformes (Euteleostei: Cyclosquamata): a molecular and total evidence approach. pp. 431-470 in Nelson, J.S., Schultze, H.-P. & Wilson, M.V.H. Origin and Phylogenetic Interrelationships of Teleosts. München, Germany : Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil 480 pp. [435]

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. (as gen. and sp. nov.)

Paxton, J.R. & Niem, V.H. 1999. Families Aulopidae, Chlorophthalmidae, Ipnopidae, Scopelarchidae, Notosudidae. pp. 1919-1927 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. [1924]

Shcherbachev, N.P. & Pakhorukov, N.P. 2002. On diagnostic features and distribution of species of mesobenthic genus Bathysauropsis (Aulopiformes, Ipnopidae). Voprosy Ikhtiologii 42(4): 564-566 (as Bathysauropsis gigas)

Somiya, H., Yamakawa, T. & Okiyama, M. 1996. Bathysauropsis gigas, a deep-sea aulopiform fish with a peculiar iris process and a pure-cone retina. Journal of Fish Biology 49: 175–181 (as Bathysauropsis gigas)

Yamakawa, T. 1981. Second record of Bathysauropsis gigas (Kamohara) from Kochi, Japan. The Memoirs of the Faculty of Sciences of the Kochi University Ser. D (Bio1.)(2): 29-32

Common Name References

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Pale Deepsea Lizardfish)

History of changes

Introduction

Members of the Chlorophthalmidae occur on the outer shelf and slope of all three oceans. Two genera and 19 species are recognised worldwide (Eschmeyer 2011). In Australian waters, five species in one genus have been collected (Gomon et al. 2014). Some are undescribed and some names currently in use will change . In addition, an unidentified species of Parasudis occurs in the tropical waters of Western Australia.

Greeneyes are benthic fishes that inhabit the continental shelf and slope. They have large eyes, a moderate gape with the jaws not extending beyond the eyes, a protruding lower jaw and a moderate to long, usually depressed, snout. Recorded food items include bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Maximum length is about 40 cm.

The chlorophthalmids require a comprehensive revision as well as the redescription of the type specimens of the nominal Indo-Pacific species. Mead (1966) revised the North Atlantic species and Kamohara (1953) reviewed those from Japanese waters. Sato & Nakabo (2002) transferred eight species of Chlorophthalmus into the genus Paraulopus, Family Paraulopidae, and placed Bathysauroides and Bathysauropsis in separate families. Sulak (1977), Johnson (1982), Hartel & Stiassny (1986), Baldwin & Johnson (1996) and Davis (2010) discussed family relationships.

General References

Baldwin, C.C. & Johnson, G.D. 1996. Interrelationships of Aulopiformes. pp. 355-404 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 pp.

Davis, M.P. 2010. Evolutionary relationships of the Aulopiformes (Euteleostei: Cyclosquamata): a molecular and total evidence approach. pp. 431-470 in Nelson, J.S., Schultze, H.-P. & Wilson, M.V.H. Origin and Phylogenetic Interrelationships of Teleosts. München, Germany : Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil 480 pp.

Eschmeyer, W.N. 2011. Catalog of Fishes. Online version updated 29 March 2011. http://research.calacademy.org/redirect?url=http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/Ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp

Gomon, M. F., Ward, R.D., Chapple, S. & Hale, J.M. 2014. The use of DNA barcode evidence for inferring species of Chlorophthalmus (Aulopiformes, Chlorophthalmidae) in the Indo-West Pacific. Marine and Freshwater Research 65: 1027–1034

Hartel, K.E. & Stiassny, L.J. 1986. The identification of larval Parasudis (Teleostei, Chlorophthalmidae); with notes on the anatomy and relationships of aulopiform fishes. Breviora. Museum of Comparative Zoology 487: 1-23

Johnson, R.K. 1982. Fishes of the families Evermannellidae and Scopelarchidae: systematics, morphology, interrelationships and zoogeography. Fieldiana Zoology ns 12: 1-252 figs 1-74

Kamohara, T. 1953. A review of the fishes of the family Chlorophthalmidae found in the waters of Japan. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 3(1): 1-6 figs 1-4

Mead, G.W. 1966. Family Chlorophthalmidae. In, Olsen, Y.H. (ed.) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(5): 162-189 figs 44-47

Sato, T. & Nakabo, T. 2002. Paraulopidae and Paraulopus, a new family and genus of aulopiform fishes with revised relationships within the order. Ichthyological Research 49: 25-46

Sulak, K.J. 1977. The systematics and biology of Bathypterois (Pisces, Chlorophthalmidae) with a revised classification of benthic myctophiform fishes. Galathea Report 14: 49-108 figs 1-32 pls 1-7

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. [267] (Greeneyes)

Paxton, J.R. & Niem, V.H. 1999. Families Aulopidae, Chlorophthalmidae, Ipnopidae, Scopelarchidae, Notosudidae. pp. 1919-1927 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. [1921] (FAO) (Greeneyes)

History of changes

• Chlorophthalmus Bonaparte, C.L.P. 1840. Iconografia della Fauna Italica, per le quattro Classi degli Animali Vertebrati. Pesci. Vol 3 Fasc. 27–29. Roma : Salviucci 135-154 pp., 18 pls. [not seen for publication date Salvatori, T. 1888. Le date della publicazione della "Iconographia della Fauna Italica" del Bonaparte ed Indice delle specie illustrate in detta opera. Bollettino dei Musei di Zoologia ed Anatomia Comparata della Reale Università di Torino 3(48): 1–25 [13]] [144].

  Type species:

   Chlorophthalmus agassizi Bonaparte, 1840 by monotypy.

Introduction

Using DNA bar coding, Gomon et al. (2014) identified two undescribed species from slope waters of Australia. Many previous records of species were misidentifications. Information presented here is tentative pending publication of a review of the genus from Australia. Several species previously placed in this genus are now placed in other genera in the family Paraulopidae.

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

CHLOROPHTHALMIDAE: Chlorophthalmus agassizi Bonaparte, 1840 [restricted to Atlantic Ocean, Australian records based on misidentified Chlorophthalmus pectoralis and undescribed species] — Gomon, M. F., Ward, R.D., Chapple, S. & Hale, J.M. 2014. The use of DNA barcode evidence for inferring species of Chlorophthalmus (Aulopiformes, Chlorophthalmidae) in the Indo-West Pacific. Marine and Freshwater Research 65: 1027–1034

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Circumglobal.

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Central Eastern Province (12), Northeast Province (18), Timor Province (2), Cape Province (20), Northwest Transition (3)

Other Regions

Coral Sea Islands Territory

General References

Gomon, M. F., Ward, R.D., Chapple, S. & Hale, J.M. 2014. The use of DNA barcode evidence for inferring species of Chlorophthalmus (Aulopiformes, Chlorophthalmidae) in the Indo-West Pacific. Marine and Freshwater Research 65: 1027–1034

History of changes

• Chlorophthalmus acutifrons Hiyama, Y. 1940. Descriptions of two new species of fish, Raja tobitukai and Chlorophthalmus acutifrons. Japanese Journal of Zoology 9: 169-173 [171, figs 2, 3A].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) whereabouts unknown (500 m depth), Kumano-Nada, Japan.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

North of Cape Leveque (15°37'S, 120°48'E) to west of Cartier Island (12°32'S, 123°26'E), WA and off Raine Island, QLD (11°35'S, 144°02'E) to east of Cape Hawke, NSW (32°07'S, 153°05'E); tropical, east-Indo-west Pacific (Japan and New Zealand)

IMCRA

Central Eastern Province (12), Northeast Province (18), Timor Province (2), Cape Province (20)

Other Regions

Coral Sea Islands Territory

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental slope.

General References

Gomon, M. F., Ward, R.D., Chapple, S. & Hale, J.M. 2014. The use of DNA barcode evidence for inferring species of Chlorophthalmus (Aulopiformes, Chlorophthalmidae) in the Indo-West Pacific. Marine and Freshwater Research 65: 1027–1034

Common Name References

Gomon, M.F. 2015. Families Chlorophthalmidae, Bathysauropsidae. pp. 547-552 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 2 pp. 1-576. [549] (Humpback Greeneye)

History of changes

• Chlorophthalmus acutifrons nigromarginatus Kamohara, T. 1953. A review of the fishes of the family Chlorophthalmidae found in the waters of Japan. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 3(1): 1-6 figs 1-4 [5, figs 3A, 4].

  Type data:

   Holotype BSKU 1541, Mimase Market, Kochi, Japan.
  Paratype(s) BSKU 1653-59; BSKU 1707-12; BSKU 7218.

Introduction

The genus is currently under study and some early literature records are not reliable for this species (Gomon et al 2014).

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

North of Port Hedland, WA (19°01' S, 117°12'E) to Arafura Sea, NT (9°21'S, 133°12'E); tropical, east-Indo-west Pacific.

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Timor Province (2), Northwest Transition (3)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental slope.

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.

Gomon, M. F., Ward, R.D., Chapple, S. & Hale, J.M. 2014. The use of DNA barcode evidence for inferring species of Chlorophthalmus (Aulopiformes, Chlorophthalmidae) in the Indo-West Pacific. Marine and Freshwater Research 65: 1027–1034

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E., Bray, D.J. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Chlorophthalmidae. pp. 479-480 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. 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. [480]

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [232]

Common Name References

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

History of changes