Family MORIDAE

Moridae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

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Introduction

The Moridae comprise about 105 species in 18 genera (Nelson 2006). In Australia, 26 species in 13 genera have been recorded.

Morid cods are primarily deepwater fishes and have been collected from shallow coastal waters to abyssal depths in excess of 2000 m. Reported food items include fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods and shellfish. Morids are typically rather elongate with the body tapering to a narrow caudal peduncle. Two dorsal fins are usually present, the anal fin is often deeply notched and both fins are separate from the caudal. The swimbladder is in contact with the auditory capsules of the skull, and many species are luminescent. Some species are of minor commercial importance in Australia. Maximum length is 1 m.

Morids were reviewed in part by Paulin (1983, 1989) and Paulin & Roberts (1997). All the species of the world were treated by Cohen (1990). Cohen (1984) considered family relationships, and Cohen (1989) and Grand et al. (2014) discussed the relationships of gadiform fishes.

Paulin and Cohen kindly provided unpublished information on the family.

General References

Cohen, D.M. 1984. Gadiformes: overview. pp. 259-265 figs 135-137 in Moser, H.G. et al. (eds). Ontogeny and Systematics of Fishes. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Special Publication 1: 1-760

Cohen, D.M. 1990. Families Moridae, Muraenolepididae. pp. 346-384 in Cohen, D.M., Inada, T., Iwamoto, T. & Scialabba, N. FAO Species Catalogue. Gadiform fishes of the world (order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125. Rome : FAO Vol. 10 442 pp.

Cohen, D.M. (ed.) 1989. Papers on the systematics of gadiform fishes. Science Series. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 32: 1-262

Grand, A., Bagils, R.Z., Vélez, L.M. & Ung, V. 2014. A cladistic re-analysis of the Gadiformes (Teleostei, Paracanthopterygii) using three-item analysis. Zootaxa 3889(4): 525–552

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

Paulin, C.D. 1983. A revision of the family Moridae (Pisces : Anacanthini) within the New Zealand region. Records of the National Museum of New Zealand 2(9): 81-126 figs 1-27

Paulin, C.D. 1989. Review of the morid genera Gadella, Physiculus, and Salilota (Teleostei: Gadiformes) with descriptions of seven new species. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 16: 93-133

Paulin, C.D. & Roberts, C.D. 1997. Review of the morid cods (Teleostei, Paracanthopterygii, Moridae) of New Caledonia, southwest Pacific Ocean, with description of a new species of Gadella. No. 2. In, Séret, B. (ed.), Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, v. 17. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 174: 17-41

Common Name References

Iwamoto, T. 1999. Families Macrouridae, Bathylagidae, Moridae, Bregmacerotidae. pp. 1986-1998 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. [1995] (FAO) (Moras)

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