Family MELAMPHAIDAE

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Introduction

Melamphaids, big scales or ridgeheads, are found in the meso- and bathypelagic waters of all oceans. Worldwide, 63 species in five genera are recognised (Eschemyer & Fong 2012, Nelson et al. 2016). Thirteen described species in five genera have been recorded from Australian waters.

These deepsea fishes usually have large, cycloid scales that are easily lost, a deep head with ridges and cavernous areas, and subthoracic pelvic fins with one spine and six to eight rays. Maximum length is about 15.5 cm.

Fourteen recent papers by Kotlyar, with revisions of the genera Melamphaes, Poromitra, Scopeloberyx and Sio (including Kotlyar 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 & 2016), resulted in the descriptions of over 20 new species and a number of species restored from synonymy. However, no specimens held in Australian museums were examined for these studies, and some species were described on the basis of very few specimens, including one that had dried out (Kotlyar 2008). Previously, generic revisions were undertaken for Melamphaes (Ebeling 1962), Sio (Moss 1962) and Scopelogadus (Ebeling & Weed 1963). The western North Atlantic species were reviewed by Ebeling & Weed (1973), who also discussed family relationships. Kotlyar (1996) reviewed the known information on the family and provided an annotated checklist (Kotlyar 2004). Bray (2008) treated species found in southern Australia. Stewart & Bray (2015) treated many of the Australian species. As a result of Kotlyar's melamphaid work, material held in collections in Australia may need reidentification.

 

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

Melamphaidae: Poromitra crassiceps (Günther, 1878) [Restricted to the tropical Atlantic and Southern oceans] — Kotlyar, A.N. 2008. Revision of the genus Poromitra (Melamphaidae): Part 1. Species of group P. crassiceps. Journal of Ichthyology 48(7): 479-492 [481]

 

General References

Bray, D.J. 2008. Family Melamphaidae. pp. 410-412 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp. [410-412]

Ebeling, A.W. 1962. Melamphaidae I. Systematics and zoogeography of the species in the bathypelagic fish genus Melamphaes Günther. Dana Reports 58: 1-164 figs 1-73

Ebeling, A.W. & Weed, W.H. 1963. Melamphaidae III. Systematics and distribution of the species in the bathypelagic fish genus Scopelogadus Vaillant. Dana Reports 60: 1-58 figs 1-23

Ebeling, A.W. & Weed, W.H. 1973. Order Xenoberyces (Stephanoberyciformes) in Cohen, D.M. (ed.) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(6): 397-477 figs 1-37

Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fong, J.D. 2012. Species of Fishes by family/subfamily. Catalog of Fishes. Online version updated 15 March 2012. http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp

Kotlyar, A.N. 1996. Beryciform Fishes of the World Ocean. Moscow : VNIRO Publishing 368 pp.

Kotlyar, A.N. 2002. Sio nordenskjoldii (Melamphaeidae): morphology and distribution. Journal of Ichthyology 42(1): 28-36 [Originally published in Russian in Voprosy Ikhtiologii v. 42 (no. 1): 32-40] [32]

Kotlyar, A.N. 2004. Family Melamphaidae Gill 1893 -- bigscales. California Academy of Sciences Annotated Checklists of Fishes 29: 1-11 [3]

Kotlyar, A.N. 2005. A revision of the genus Scopeloberyx (Melamphaidae). Part 3. Species of the group S. opisthopterus. Journal of Ichthyology 45(1): 16-27 [Original in Russian in Voprosy Ikhtiologii v. 45 (no. 1): 21-34] [27]

Kotlyar, A.N. 2008. Revision of the genus Poromitra (Melamphaidae): Part 1. Species of group P. crassiceps. Journal of Ichthyology 48(7): 479-492

Kotlyar, A.N. 2009. Revision of the genus Poromitra (Melamphaidae). Part 4. Species of P. cristiceps group: P. atlantica, P. oscitans and P. agafonovae Kotlyar, species nova. Journal of Ichthyology 49(8): 563-574 [563]

Kotlyar, A.N. 2010. Revision of the genus Poromitra (Melamphaidae): Part 6. Species of the P. megalops group. Journal of Ichthyology 50(2): 231-245 [243]

Kotlyar, A.N. 2012. Revision of the Genus Melamphaes (Melamphaidae): Part 3. Multirakered Species: M. suborbitalis, M. parini, and M. acanthomus. Journal of Ichthyology 52(2): 137-148 [137]

Kotlyar, A.N. 2015. Revision of the genus Melamphaes (Melamphaidae). 3. Oligo-raker species: M. proximus sp. n., M. contradictorius sp. n., and M. succedanaus sp. n. Voprosy Ikhtiologii 55(5): 509-520 [In Russian, English translation in Journal of Ichthyology, v. 55 (5): 619-629]

Kotlyar, A.N. 2016. Revision of the genus Melamphaes (Melamphaidae): 7. Oligo-raker species: M. danae and M. pumilis. Voprosy Ikhtiologii 56(4): 379-390 [In Russian, English translation in Journal of Ichthyology 56(4): 477-487]

Moss, S.A. 1962. Melamphaidae II. A new melamphaid genus, Sio, with redescription of Sio nordenskjöldii (Lönnberg). Dana Reports 56: 1-10 figs 1-4

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

Stewart, A.L. & Bray, D.J. 2015. Family Melamphaidae. pp. 977-991 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 3 pp. 577-1152.

 

Common Name References

Moore, J.A. & Paxton, J.R. 1999. Family Melamphaeidae. pp. 2201-2202 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. [2201] (alternate FAO) (Bigscales, Ridgeheads)

Pollard, J. (ed.) 1980. G.P. Whitley's Handbook of Australian Fishes. North Sydney : Jack Pollard Publishing Pty Ltd 629 pp. [87] (Crusthead)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
05-Aug-2022	STEPHANOBERYCIFORMES	09-Jun-2022	MODIFIED	Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM)
		12-Feb-2010	(import)