Family HOPLICHTHYIDAE

Hoplichthyidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

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Introduction

Members of the Hoplichthyidae live in the Indo-Pacific. At least 13 species in a single genus Hoplichthys have been recorded; six described and at least one undescribed species are known from Australian waters.

Ghost flatheads are benthic on the continental shelf and slope in depths of 50 to 1500 m. They resemble flatheads of the family Platycephalidae in having a flattened head and body, however ghost flatheads lack scales, and have a larger head and a row of large spiny scutes along the lateral line. Maximum length is 43 cm. Food items include fishes and decapod crustaceans.

The ghost flatheads are being revised by Yuki Nagano (Hokkaido University Museum). Previously, Matsubara & Ochiai (1950a, 1950b) reviewed five species found in Japanese waters and McGouther (1999) presented a key to tropical species. H. regani was included in the Australian fauna by Paxton et al. Nagano et al. (2012) confirmed the validity of this species, but she concluded that it does not occur in Australia. She referred the specimens to a new species, H. imamurai Nagano (2013).

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

HOPLICHTHYIDAE: Hoplichthys regani Jordan, 1908 — Nagano, Y., Imamura, H. & Y. Mamoru. 2012. Taxonomic status of Hoplichthys regani Jordan 1908 (Scorpaeniformes: Hoplichthyidae), with comments on its authorship. Ichthyological Research 59(3): 255-263 [262]

General References

Matsubara, K. & Ochiai, A. 1950a. Studies on Hoplichthyidae, a family of mail-cheeked fishes, found in Japan and its adjacent waters. Parts 1 and 2. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 1(2): 73-88 figs 1-2

Matsubara, K. & Ochiai, A. 1950b. Studies on Hoplichthyidae, a family of mail-cheeked fishes, found in Japan and its adjacent waters. Part 3. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 1(3): 145-156 fig. 3

McGrouther, M.A. 1999. Family Hoplichthyidae. pp. 2422-2424 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.

Nagano, Y., Imamura, H. & Y. Mamoru. 2012. Taxonomic status of Hoplichthys regani Jordan 1908 (Scorpaeniformes: Hoplichthyidae), with comments on its authorship. Ichthyological Research 59(3): 255-263

Nagano, Y., McGrouther, M.A. & Yabe, M. 2013. A new species of the hoplichthyid genus Hoplichthys (Teleostei: Hoplichthyidae) from northern Western Australia. Zootaxa 3681(3): 241-248

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E., McGrouther, M.A. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Hoplichthyidae. pp. 949-950 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. [949]

Common Name References

Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. [524] (Deep Sea Flatheads, Ghost Flatheads)

McGrouther, M.A. 1999. Family Hoplichthyidae. pp. 2422-2424 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. [2422] (FAO) (Ghost Flatheads, Spiny Flatheads)

Whitley, G.P. 1951. Flatheads. Australian Museum Magazine 10(8): 244-248 [248] (Spook Flatheads)

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