Family AMBASSIDAE

Ambassidae

© Copyright from McCulloch 1911.

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Introduction

Ambassids are confined to the tropical Indo-West Pacific, with about two-thirds of the species dwelling in the fresh waters of India, South-East Asia and the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Approximately 40 species belonging to about eight genera are known worldwide. In Australia, 13 species and three genera are known. Five of the Australian species are restricted to fresh water and the remainder are estuary dwellers that are sometimes found in the lower reaches of freshwater streams.

Glassfishes are apparently nocturnal, congregating amongst plants or other shelter during daylight. The diet includes micro-crustaceans, aquatic insects, small arachnids, terrestrial insects and small amounts of fishes and algae. Most species are small in size, usually under 10 cm, with the exception of Parambassis species, which may grow to greater than 25 cm.

Allen & Burgess (1990) reviewed the glassfishes of Australia and provided a key and diagnostic illustrations for all the species. One undescribed species is known from Lake Eyre basin and northern Australia (Allen et al. 2002); this species was previously referred to as Ambassis muelleri. A number of species were figured and lectotypes selected by Whitley (1935). We follow Anderson & Heemstra (2003) in regarding Lutjanus gymnocephalus Lacépède, 1802 as a nomen dubium and use the name Ambassis dussumieri for the species.

General References

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp.

Allen, G.R. & Burgess, W.E. 1990. A review of the glass-fishes (Ambassidae) of Australia and New Guinea. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 34: 139-206

Anderson, M.E. & Heemstra, P.C. 2003. Review of the glassfishes (Perciformes: Ambassidae) of the western Indian Ocean. Cybium 27(3): 199-209

Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. 2006. 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. [969]

McCulloch, A.R. 1911. Report on the fishes obtained by the F.I.S. Endeavour on the coasts of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Part 1. Zoological (Biological) Results. Endeavour 1(1): 1-87 figs 1-20 pls 1-16

Whitley, G.P. 1935. Fishes from Princess Charlotte Bay, North Queensland. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 5(3): 345-365 figs 1-11

Common Name References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls. [123] (Glassfishes)

Allen, G.R. 1999. Family Ambassidae. pp. 2433-2435 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. [2433] (FAO) (Perchlets)

Pollard, J. (ed.) 1980. G.P. Whitley's Handbook of Australian Fishes. North Sydney : Jack Pollard Publishing Pty Ltd 629 pp. [154] (Chanda Perches)

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