Family DIODONTIDAE

Diodontidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Diodon nicthemerus

© Copyright Waite, E.R. 1921

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Introduction

The family Diodontidae has not been revised recently. Currently, seven genera and 19 species are recognised worldwide (Gomon 1994, 2008; Leis 2001, Leis 2006), with the Australian fauna comprising 12 species in the seven recognised genera.

Porcupinefishes or burrfishes are found in tropical and subtropical inshore waters of all the oceans. The juveniles are pelagic and the adults benthic. Some species reach 1 m in size.

Leis (1978) revised Diodon and he (1986) provided a regional summary for South African species. Leis (2001) also dealt with the tropical diodontids and subsequently treated all species in the family (Leis 2006). Relationships of the family have been studied by and Winterbottom (1974) and Tyler (1980).

General References

Gomon, M.F. 1994. Family Diodontidae. pp. 913-915, figs 805-806 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs.

Gomon, M.F. 2008. Famiuly Diodontidae. pp. 857-858 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Leis, J.M. 1978. Systematics and zoogeography of the porcupinefishes (Diodon, Diodontidae, Tetraodontiformes), with comments on egg and larval development. Fishery Bulletin (U.S.) 76(3): 535-567 figs 1-28

Leis, J.M. 1986. Family No. 269: Diodontidae. pp. 903-907 in Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (eds). Smith's Sea Fishes. Johannesburg : Macmillan South Africa xx + 1047 pp. 144 pls.

Leis, J.M. 2001. Diodontidae. pp. 3958-3965 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. 6 pp. 3381-4218.

Leis, J.M. 2006. Nomenclature and distribution of the species of the Porcupinefish family Diodontidae (Pisces, Teleostei). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63(1): 77-90

Tyler, J.C. 1980. Osteology, phylogeny, and higher classification of the fishes of the order Plectognathi (Tetraodontiformes). National Marine Fisheries Service (U.S.). Technical Report 434: 1-422 figs 1-326

Waite, E.R. 1921. Illustrated catalogue of the fishes of South Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 2(1): 1-208 293 figs pl. 1 [fig. 331]

Winterbottom, R. 1974. The familial phylogeny of the Tetraodontiformes (Acanthopterygii : Pisces) as evidenced by their comparative myology. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 155: 1-102 figs 1-185

Common Name References

Leis, J.M. 2001. Diodontidae. pp. 3958-3965 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. 6 pp. 3381-4218. [3958] (Burrfishes)

Marshall, T.C. 1964. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coastal Waters of Queensland. Sydney : Angus & Robertson 566 pp. 136 pls. [499] (Porcupine-fishes)

Pollard, J. (ed.) 1980. G.P. Whitley's Handbook of Australian Fishes. North Sydney : Jack Pollard Publishing Pty Ltd 629 pp. [317] (Porcupinefishes)

Whitley, G.P. 1948. A list of the fishes of Western Australia. Western Australia Fish Department. Fisheries Bulletin 2: 1-35 map [32] (Porcupine Fishes)

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