Family ELOPIDAE

Elopidae

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Introduction

The Elopidae comprise a single genus Elops and seven species, found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. Two species occur in Australian waters.

Although elopids are primarily marine fishes, they are frequently found in estuaries, and also enter freshwaters. Both Australian species are popular sports fish taken on hook and line, but are considered poor eating. The larvae are leaf-like leptocephali similar to those of true eels (order Anguilliformes), although unlike true eels, elopid larvae have forked caudal fins (Charter & Moser 1996). Maximum length is 1 m.

Paxton et al. (1989) included the genus Megalops in the family Elopidae. However, two separate families, Elopidae and Megalopidae, are now recognised (Nelson 2006; Paxton et al. 2006, Nelson et al. 2016). Whitehead (1962) reviewed the genus Elops. McBride et al. (2010) described a new species of Elops from the western Atlantic.

General References

Charter, S.R. & Moser, H.G. 1996. Elopidae: tenpounders. pp. 75-77 in Moser, H.G. The early stages of fishes in the California Current region. Fisheries Investigations Atlas No. 33 Lawrence, Kansas : California Cooperative Oceanic Allen Press, Inc. 1505 pp.

McBride, R.S., Rocha, C.R., Ruiz-Carus, R. & Bowen, B.W. 2010. A new species of ladyfish, of the genus Elops (Elopiformes: Elopidae), from the western Atlantic Ocean. Zootaxa 2346: 29-41 [Date published 28 January 2010]

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

Nelson, J.S., Grande, T.C. & Wilson, M.V.H. 2016. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons 5, 752 pp.

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Elopidae. pp. 221-222 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.

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.

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1962. The species of Elops (Pisces : Elopidae). Annals and Magazine of Natural History 13 5(54): 321-329 figs 1-3

Common Name References

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [332] (Tenpounders)

Smith, D.G. 1999. Families Elopidae, Megalopidae. pp. 1619-1622 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. [1619] (Ladyfishes, Tenpounders)

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