Family NOTOSUDIDAE

Notosudidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Museums

Regional Maps

External Links

Introduction

The Notosudidae were reviewed by Marshall (1966) and were revised comprehensively by Bertelsen et al. (1976), who recognised 19 species in three genera. In Australia, eight species in two genera have been recorded.

Paperbones or wearyfishes occur in all oceans and, as larvae, are found near the surface. Early juveniles, later juveniles and some adults are mesopelagic; other adults are benthopelagic over slope waters down to 2000 m. Prey items include small and large crustaceans, and for the largest animals, fishes. They are slender, scaled fishes with short dorsal and anal-fin bases and relatively small teeth. The largest of the relatively few adults captured exceeds 50 cm standard length.

General References

Bertelsen, E., Krefft, G. & Marshall, N.B. 1976. The fishes of the family Notosudidae. Dana Reports 86: 1-115 figs 1-67 pl. 1

Marshall, N.B. 1966. Family Scopelosauridae. In, Olsen, Y.H. (ed.) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(5): 194-204 figs 50-54

Common Name References

Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. [265] (Paperbones, Wearyfishes)

Paxton, J.R. & Niem, V.H. 1999. Families Aulopidae, Chlorophthalmidae, Ipnopidae, Scopelarchidae, Notosudidae. pp. 1919-1927 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. [1927] (FAO) (Waryfishes)

History of changes