Family MENIDAE

Menidae

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Introduction

The family Menidae comprises the single extant species, Mene maculata. Moonfish are distinctive in that they have a disk-like body with a sharp, keel-like breast (Nelson 2006). They occur in coastal waters in the tropical Indo-west-central Pacific. During the Tertiary the group was found worldwide (Friedman & Johnson 2005). Maximum size is 30 cm. Woodland (2001) treated the family in detail. Relationships of the family are currently under dispute by various authors and it may be that the family does not belong with the Perciformes (see Nelson 2006).

General References

Friedman, M. & Johnson, G.D. 2005. A new species of Mene (Perciformes: Menidae) from the Paleocene of South America, with notes on paleoenvironment and a brief review of menid fishes. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(4): 770-783

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. [1174]

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

Woodland, D.J. 2001. Menidae. 2791 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. 5 2791-3379 pp.

Common Name References

Woodland, D.J. 2001. Menidae. 2791 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. 5 2791-3379 pp. [2791] (Moonfish)

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