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)

History of changes

• Grammicolepis Poey, F. 1873. Grammicolepis brachiusculus, tipo de una nueva familia en la clase de los peces. Anales de la Sociedad Española de Historia Natural 2: 403-406 [403].

  Type species:

   Grammicolepis brachiusculus Poey, 1873 by monotypy.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Atlantic Indo-west-central Pacific.

IMCRA

Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Lord Howe Province (14), Timor Province (2), Norfolk Island Province (21), Northwest Transition (3), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Northwest Province (4), Central Western Transition (5)

History of changes

• Grammicolepis brachiusculus Poey, F. 1873. Grammicolepis brachiusculus, tipo de una nueva familia en la clase de los peces. Anales de la Sociedad Española de Historia Natural 2: 403-406 [403].

  Type data:

   Holotype whereabouts unknown skeleton (presumed lost), Havana, Cuba.
• Xenolepidichthys americanus Nichols, J.T. & Firth, F.E. 1939. Rare fishes off the Atlantic coast including a new grammicolepid. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 52: 85-88 fig. 1 [85, fig. 1].

  Type data:

   Holotype AMNH 14107, Some 220 miles east-southeast of Boston Lightship at the outer edge of George's Bank, northwestern Atlantic, depth 50 fathoms.
• Daramattus armatus Smith, J.L.B. 1960. A new grammicolepid fish from South Africa. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 13 3(28): 231-235 figs 3-4 [231, pls 3-4].

  Type data:

   Holotype SAIAB 43, East London, South Africa.
  Paratype(s) SAM (missing), Table Bay, South Africa; SAM (missing), Japan.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Karrer, C. 1990. Family Grammicolepididae. pp. 634-636 in Quéro, J.-C., Hureau, J.-C., Karrer, C., Post, A. & Saldanha, L. (eds). Check-list of the Fishes of the Eastern Tropical Atlantic. Paris : UNESCO 1492 pp., 3 vols. [634]

Miscellaneous Literature Names

• Daramattus americanus (Nichols & Firth, 1939). —
  Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [391]
• Daramattus armatus Smith, 1960. —
  Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [391]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Off the Clarence River, NSW (29º20´S) to off NW TAS (41º15´S, 144º04´S), and Houtman Abrolhos (28°30'S) to north of Dampier Archipelago (20°39'S), WA; also recorded from the Lord Howe Rise and the Norfolk Ridge; tropical, temperate, Atlantic Indo-west-central Pacific.

IMCRA

Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Lord Howe Province (14), Timor Province (2), Norfolk Island Province (21), Northwest Transition (3), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Northwest Province (4), Central Western Transition (5)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental slope, marine.

Extra Ecological Information

351-865m.

General References

Fricke, R., Kulbicki, M. & Wantiez, L. 2011. Checklist of the fishes of New Caledonia, and their distribution in the Southwest Pacific Ocean (Pisces). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie A (Biologie) Neue Serie 4: 341-463 [374]

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]

Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Checklist of the fishes of Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 63: 9-50 [26]

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. [797]

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [391] (as Daramattus americanus and D. armatus)

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 [15]

Common Name References

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Web 2004. Fishbase. http://www.fishbase.org/Summary., Fishbase, AFS) (Thorny Tinselfish)

History of changes

• Macrurocyttus Fowler, H.W. 1934. Descriptions of new fishes obtained in 1907 to 1910, chiefly in the Philippine Islands and adjacent seas. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 85: 233-367 figs 1-115 [350].

  Type species:

   Macrurocyttus acanthopodus Fowler, 1934 by original designation.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

West Pacific.

IMCRA

Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Cape Province (20)

History of changes

• Macrurocyttus acanthopodus Fowler, H.W. 1934. Descriptions of new fishes obtained in 1907 to 1910, chiefly in the Philippine Islands and adjacent seas. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 85: 233-367 figs 1-115 [351, fig. 104].

  Type data:

   Holotype USNM 93144, off east coast of Luzon Island, Philippines, 480 fathoms [13°35´27"N, 123°37´18"E].
  Paratype(s) USNM 93144 (1 of 2).

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Off Cape York, QLD (10ºS, 143°E) to northeast of Bowen, QLD (20°S, 148°E); tropical, west Pacific.

IMCRA

Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Cape Province (20)

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental slope, marine.

Extra Ecological Information

990-1190 m.

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. [2258]

Nyako, C.O. & Amaoka, K. 1996. First records of the zeiform fish, Macrurocyttus acanthopodus Fowler, 1933, from the Coral Sea. Ichthyological Research 43(1): 93-96 [93]

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. [798]

Common Name References

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Dwarf Dory)

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 (Dwarf Dory)

History of changes

• Xenolepidichthys Gilchrist, J.D.F. 1922. Special report No. 3. Deep-sea fishes procured by the S.S. Pickle (Part 1). Report. Fisheries & Marine Biological Survey, Union of South Africa 2: 41-79 pls 7-12 [dated 1921] [73].

  Type species:

   Xenolepidichthys dalgleishi Gilchrist, 1922 by monotypy.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Atlantic Indo-west Pacific.

IMCRA

Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Central Eastern Transition (15), Kenn Transition (16), Kenn Province (17), Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Norfolk Island Province (21), Northwest Transition (3), Northwest Province (4), Central Western Transition (5), Central Western Province (6)

History of changes

• Xenolepidichthys dalgleishi Gilchrist, J.D.F. 1922. Special report No. 3. Deep-sea fishes procured by the S.S. Pickle (Part 1). Report. Fisheries & Marine Biological Survey, Union of South Africa 2: 41-79 pls 7-12 [dated 1921] [73, pl. 12(1)].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) SAM or BMNH (syntypes 3, apparently lost (possibly BMNH)), off Natal Coast, South Africa, 70-226 fathoms [29°57´S, 31°14´E; 29°43´S, 31°22´E; 29°48´S, 31°22´E].

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

NW of Perth (31°30´S) to off Rowley Shoals (17ºS), WA and ESE of Cape Tribulation, QLD (16º08´S) to SE of Point Hicks, VIC (38º09´S, 149º54´E); tropical, temperate, Atlantic, Indo-west Pacific.

IMCRA

Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Central Eastern Transition (15), Kenn Transition (16), Kenn Province (17), Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Norfolk Island Province (21), Northwest Transition (3), Northwest Province (4), Central Western Transition (5), Central Western Province (6)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental slope, marine.

Extra Ecological Information

252-804m.

General References

Fricke, R., Kulbicki, M. & Wantiez, L. 2011. Checklist of the fishes of New Caledonia, and their distribution in the Southwest Pacific Ocean (Pisces). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie A (Biologie) Neue Serie 4: 341-463 [374]

Gloerfelt-Tarp, T. & Kailola, P.J. 1984. Trawled Fishes of Southern Indonesia and Northwest Australia. Jakarta : Dir. Gen. Fish. (Indonesia), German Tech. Coop., Aust. Dev. Ass. Bur. 406 pp.

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]

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. [798]

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 [13]

Common Name References

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Web 2004. Fishbase. http://www.fishbase.org/Summary., Fishbase, AFS) (Spotted Tinselfish)

History of changes