Family DREPANEIDAE

Drapane

© Copyright Ros Poole.

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Introduction

The Sicklefishes are sometimes inlucded in the family Ephippidae (Nelson 2006; Allen et al. 2006). However we follow Heemstra (2001), Leis & Carson-Ewart (2000) and Lloris & Rucabado (1987) in treating the group as a separate family. The family contains a single genus and three species (one found only in the Atlantic). Both Pacific species are known from Australia.

The species are found over soft bottoms on the continental shelf and sometimes are found in estuaries. There is a significant fishery for the species in Asia.

Maximum, length is 50 cm.

General References

Allen, G.R., Cross, N.J. & Allen, C.J. 2006. Family Ephippidae, Scatophagidae and Siganidae. pp. 1717-1728 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.

Heemstra, P.C. 2001. Drepanidae. pp. 3221-3223 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.

Leis, J.M. & Carson-Ewart, B.M. 2000. The larvae of Indo-Pacific coastal fishes. An identification guide to marine fish larvae. Fauna Malesiana Handbooks Leiden : Brill Vol. 2 870 pp.

Lloris, D. & Rucabado, J. 1987. Revisión sistematica y distribución de la familia Drepanidae (Pisces, Osteichthyes). Miscelánea Zoológica, Barcelona 11: 277-288

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

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