Family GRAMMICOLEPIDIDAE

Grammicolepididae

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Introduction

The Grammicolepididae comprise three species in three genera, and all are known from Australia.

Grammicolepidids are benthic in continental slope waters from the tropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Indian and west-central Pacific Oceans. Species of Grammicolepis and Xenolepidichthys are extremely compressed, deep-bodied silvery fishes with unique, vertically elongate scales and a small, almost vertical mouth; maximum size is 33 cm. Juveniles have large thorny lateral protuberances in some body scales. Macrurocyttus has a large head, extremely large eyes, a large serrated spine in the pelvic fins, no scales, and a maximum length of about 10 cm.

Heemstra (1999) treated some species and diagnosed the Grammicolepididae and Macrurocyttidae as separate families. Tyler et al. (2003) included Macrurocyttus with the grammicolepidids.

General 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.

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E., Bray, D.J. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Grammicolepididae. pp. 797-798 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.

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

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. [2260] (FAO) (Tinselfishes)

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 [36] (Dwarf Dory, Scaly Dories)

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