Family LIPARIDAE

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Introduction

The family Liparidae is sometimes included as a subfamily of the Cyclopteridae, but here it is recognised as a distinct family with about 334 species in 29 genera (Stein et al. 2001; Nelson 2006). Currently over 200 species are known from the Southern Hemisphere (Stein 2012). The fauna of the Australian region includes 43 species in three genera, all described recently by Stein et al. (2001). Although some of the species listed here occur just outside Australian waters they are included as they are likely to occur within those waters. Species described by Stein (2012) from the Ross Sea are not included here, although many may occur within the Australian region.

Snailfishes are found primarily in the cool to cold waters of the Northern Hemisphere and the Antarctic. These benthic fishes live in marine waters from tidepools to abyssal depths. Snailfishes have the pelvic fins, when present, modified into a sucking disc, the pectorals usually notched, gill openings usually small and usually no lateral line. Maximum size is 60 cm length.

Burke (1930) revised the subfamily Liparinae (as a family). Andriashev (2003) treated species from the Southern Ocean, and Chernova et al. (2004) provided a checklist to all species and genera, but numerous species have been added subsequently (e.g. Stein 2012; Chernova 2005, 2006, 2015).

 

General References

Andriashev, A.P. 2003. Liparid Fishes (Liparidae, Scorpaeniformes) of the Southern Ocean and adjacent Waters. Russian Academy of Sciences Zoological Institute, Saint Petersburg. Biological Results of the Russian Antarctic Expeditions, Vol. 9. Explorations of the Fauna of the Seas. 53(61): 1-475.

Burke, C.V. 1930. Revision of the fishes of the family Liparidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 150: 1-204 figs 1-110

Chernova, N.V. 2005. New species of Careproctus Liparidae from the Barents Sea and adjacent waters. Voprosy Ikhtiologii 45(6): 725-736 [in Russian; English translation in Journal of Ichthyology 45 (9): 689-699]

Chernova, N.V. 2006. New and rare snailfishes (Liparidae, Scorpaeniformes) with the description of four new species form the Southern Hemisphere and tropical east Pacific. Journal of Ichthyology 46(Supplement 1): S1-S14

Chernova, N.V. 2015. New species of the genus Careproctus (Liparidae) from the Kara Sea and identification key for congeners of the North Atlantic and Arctic. Journal of Ichthyology 54(10): 757-780

Chernova, N.V., Stein, D.L. & Andriashev, A.P. 2004. Family Liparidae Scopoli 1777 — snailfishes. Calif. Acad. Sci. Annotated Checklists of Fishes No. 31. 1-72 pp.

Gomon, M.F. 2008. Family Liparidae. pp. 524-525 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp. [524]

Hoese, D. F., Paxton, J.R. & Gates, J. E. 2006. Liparidae. pp. 955-960 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. [955]

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

Stein, D.L. 2012. Snailfishes (Family Liparidae) of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, and closely adjacent waters. Zootaxa 3285: 1-120

Stein, D.L., Chernova, N.V. & Andriashev, A.P. 2001. Snailfishes (Pisces: Liparidae) of Australia, including descriptions of thirty new species. Records of the Australian Museum 53: 341-406

Stein, D.L. & Andriashev, A.P. 1990. Liparididae. pp. 231-255 in Gon, O. & Heemstra, P.C. (eds). Fishes of the Southern Ocean. Grahamstown : J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology 462 pp. [231]

 

Common Name References

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. [479] (Snailfishes)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
06-May-2015	SCORPAENIFORMES	07-Apr-2015	MODIFIED	Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM)
		12-Feb-2010	(import)