Family CAPROIDAE

Caproidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

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Introduction

The Caproidae comprises 18 species in two genera (Eschmeyer & Fong 2012), although Johnson & Patterson (1993), Tyler et al. (2003) and Wiley & Johnson (2010) agree that the two recognised caproid genera are not closely related. The boarfishes were briefly reviewed by Fraser-Brunner (1950) and Parin & Borodulina (1986). Berry (1959) revised the western Atlantic species and came to different conclusions regarding the validity of some Indo-Pacific species. Zehren (1987) discussed relationships of the family. Five described species in one genus occur in Australian waters. Gordon Yearsley (formerly of CSIRO) considers that there are a number of undescribed species in Australian waters.

Boarfishes live in coastal and slope waters in depths of 900 m. Adults are taken in bottom trawls and small juveniles are pelagic. Boarfishes are laterally compressed with a steep predorsal profile, a small mouth and ctenoid scales with ridge-like denticles or spines. Maximum length attained is 16 cm.

General References

Berry, F.H. 1959. Boarfishes of the genus Antigonia of the western Atlantic. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum 4(7): 205-250 figs 1-11

Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fong, J.D. 2012. Species of Fishes by family/subfamily. Catalog of Fishes. Online version updated 15 March 2012. http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp

Fraser-Brunner, A. 1950. Note on the fishes of the genus Antigonia (Caproidae). Annals and Magazine of Natural History 12 3(64): 721-724

Johnson, G.D. & Patterson, C. 1993. Percomorph phylogeny: a survey of acanthomorphs and a new proposal. Bulletin of Marine Science 52(1): 554-626

Parin, N.V. & Borodulina, O.D. 1986. Preliminary review of the bathypelagic fish genus Antigonia Lowe (Zeiformes, Caproidae). Transactions. P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology 121: 141-172 [in Russian]

Tyler, J.C., O'Toole, B. & Winterbottom, R.W. 2003. Phylogeny of the genera and families of zeiform fishes, with comments on their relationships with tetraodontiforms and caproids. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 618: 1-110

Wiley, E.O. & Johnson, G.D. 2010. A teleost classification based on monophyletic groups. pp. 123-182 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.

Zehren, S.J. 1987. Osteology and evolutionary relationships of the boarfish genus Antigonia (Teleostei: Caproidae). Copeia 1987(3): 564-592

Common Name References

Heemstra, P.C. 1999. Families Parazenidae, Macrocyttidae, Zeidae, Grammicolepididae, Caproidae. pp. 2257-2261 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790. [2261] (FAO) (Boarfishes)

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. [86] (Boarfishes)

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