Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Cyttidae

Cyttidae

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CAAB: 37264000

Family CYTTIDAE

Bigeye Dories, Lookdown Dories


Compiler and date details

7 July 2011 - Dianne J. Bray, John R. Paxton, Jennifer E. Gates & Douglass F. Hoese

2006 - John R. Paxton, Dianne J. Bray, Jennifer E. Gates & Douglass F. Hoese

Introduction

The Cyttidae comprise a single genus, Cyttus, with three species, and all have been recorded from Australian waters.

Lookdown or bigeye dories are benthic on the continental shelf and slope, trawled in depths to 600 m. They have ovoid, compressed bodies, large, highly protrusible jaws and small to moderate-sized eyes. They are characterised by having slightly enlarged scutes in a 'zipper-like' pattern from the isthmus to the pelvic fin origin. They are commercially important in Australia and overseas. Maximum length attained is 50 cm.

The cyttids were reviewed by Heemstra (1980), revised by Bray (1983) and recently redefined by Tyler et al. (2003). Species are treated in Bray (1994, 2008), Heemstra (1980) and Tyler et al. (2003).

 

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)
06-May-2013 06-May-2013 MODIFIED
20-May-2011 20-May-2011 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)