Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Monocentridae

Monocentridae

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CAAB: 37259000

Family MONOCENTRIDAE

Pine-cone Fishes, Pineapple Fishes, Pineapple-fishes, Pineapplefishes


Compiler and date details

25 November 2015 - Dianne J. Bray, John R. Paxton, Jennifer E. Gates & Douglass F. Hoese

John R. Paxton, Jennifer E. Gates & Douglass F. Hoese

Introduction

The family Monocentridae, the pineapple fishes, includes two genera and three or four species known from the Indo-Pacific (Kotlyar 1985; Paxton 1999; Nelson 2006). Two species in two genera have been recorded from Australian waters. They are also known by the names pinecone, knight, coat-of-mail, and port-and-starboard-light fishes.

Pineapple fishes are benthic in relatively shallow marine waters from 3-200 m. Large crustaceans have been found in the stomachs of Cleidopus examined in Australia. Monocentrids are distinctive in having heavy enlarged scales, stout fin spines and, on the lower jaw, light organs with luminous symbiotic bacteria. They are nocturnal predators with a maximum of 26.5 cm standard length.

The family has not been reviewed comprehensively. Schultz (1956) partly examined the family in a description of a new eastern Pacific species.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
06-Jun-2016 BERYCIFORMES 07-Dec-2015 MODIFIED Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM)
12-Feb-2010 (import)