Subfamily Harpadontinae

Synodontidae: Harpadontinae: Saurida

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Synodontidae: Harpadontinae: Harpadon

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Museums

Regional Maps

External Links

Introduction

The Harpadontinae comprise two genera and 28 species worldwide (Nelson 2006, Eschmeyer & Fong 2016). In Australian waters both genera and 8 named species are known to occur here. Other species have been recorded based on misidentifications.

Following the work of Sulak (1977) the genus Saurida is included here.

Most bombay ducks and sauries live over soft bottoms in coastal waters and on the continental shelf. Species of Harpadon are also found in estuaries and shallow bays. Maximum length for the family is 71 cm.

Harpadontines have not been revised recently. However, Saurida was revised by Shindo & Yamada (1972) who recognised nine Indo-Pacific species. Most Australian species are treated in Russell (1999), but a number of taxonomic problems exist, and further study is necessary to determine the harpadontine fauna of Australia (see Russell et al. 2015).

General References

Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fong, J.D. 2 August 2016. Species of Fishes by Family/Subfamily in the Catalog of Fishes. http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Russell, B.C. 1999. Families Synodontidae, Bathysauridae. pp. 1928-1947 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.

Russell, B.C., Golani, D. & Tikochinski, Y. 2015. Saurida lessepsianus a new species of lizardfish (Pisces: Synodontidae) from the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea, with a key to Saurida species in the Red Sea. Zootaxa 3956(4): 559–568

Shindo, S. & Yamada, Y. 1972. Descriptions of three new species of the lizardfish genus Saurida, with a key to its Indo-Pacific species. 2 parts. UO. Japanese Society of Ichthyologists 11(11 and 12): 1-13 and 1-14 figs 1-17

Sulak, K.J. 1977. The systematics and biology of Bathypterois (Pisces, Chlorophthalmidae) with a revised classification of benthic myctophiform fishes. Galathea Report 14: 49-108 figs 1-32 pls 1-7

Common Name References

Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. Sydney, NSW, Australia : New Holland Publishers xvii, 434 pp. [38] (Sauries)

Whitley, G.P. 1948. A list of the fishes of Western Australia. Western Australia Fish Department. Fisheries Bulletin 2: 1-35 map [13] (Bombay Ducks)

History of changes