Family PHOLIDICHTHYIDAE

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Introduction

The convict blennies, family Pholidichthyidae, are restricted to the western Pacific from the Philippines to Australia. Currently, two species are known, one from Australia (Springer & Larson 1996; Springer 2001).

Although pholidichthyid young are often found in the vicinity of coral reefs in the western Pacific, the Australian species has only been taken in trawl collections from northern Australia. Maximum size reached is approximately 1 m. Trnski et al. (2000) described the larvae of one species.

The relationships of the group are uncertain. Authors have variously suggested affinities with blennioid (Springer & Freihofer 1976; Springer 1993), labroid (Stiassny & Jensen 1987) and trachinoid fishes (Nelson 1994, followed by Hoese 2006). Wirtz (1993) noted that the the larval attachment organs of Pholidichthys superficially resemble those of some cichlids. Springer & Freihofer (1976) noted that Pholidichthys shows a number of highly unusual and specialized characters not found among blennies or gobies. The cladistic analysis of Springer & Orrell (2004) concluded that the labroids are paraphyletic without the inclusion of the Pholidichthyidae. Nelson (2006) followed Springer & Johnson (2004), by provisionally placing the family in its own suborder, the Pholidichthyoidei. Britz (2006) provided further insights into the possible affinities of the family. The most recent review of Wiley & Johnson (2010) placed the family in the Order Pholidichthyiformes sensu Springer & Johnson, 2004 (as incertae sedis in their Division Percomorphacea). Betancur et al. (2013) suggested a close relationship with the Cichlidae based on genetic studies. The family is here placed in the Pholidichthyoidei until molecular studies and further morphological studies provide additional evidence of family relationships.

 

General References

Betancur-R, R., Broughton, R.E., Wiley, E.O., Carpenter, K., López, J.A., Li, C., Holcroft, N.I., Arcila, D., Sanciangco, M., Cureton, II J.C., Zhang, F., Buser, T &, Campbell, M.A., Ballesteros, J.A., Roa-Varon, A., Willis, S., Borden, W.C., Rowley, T., Reneau, P.C., Hough, D.J., Lu, G., Grande, T., Arratia, G. & Ortí, G. 2013. The tree of life and a new classification of bony fishes. PLOS Currents Tree of Life Edition 1: doi: 10.1371/currents.tol.53ba26640df0ccaee75bb165c8c26288

Hoese, D.F. 2006. Pholidichthyidae. pp. 1486-1487 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. 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.

Nelson, J.S. 1994. Fishes of the World. New York : John Wiley & Sons 600 pp.

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

Springer, V.G. 1993. Definition of the suborder Blennioidei and its included families (Pisces: Perciformes). Bulletin of Marine Science 52(2): 472-495

Springer, V.G. 2001. Pholidichthyidae. 3500 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. 6 pp. 3381-4218.

Springer, V.G. & Freihofer, W.C. 1976. Study of the monotypic fish family Pholidichthyidae (Perciformes). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 216: 1-43

Springer, V.G. & Johnson, D.G. 2004. Study of the dorsal gill-arch musculature of teleostome fishes, with special reference to the Actinopterygii. Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington 11: 1-260

Springer, V.G. & Larson, H.K. 1996. Pholidichthys anguis, a new species of pholidichthyid fish from Northern Territory and Western Australia. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 109(2): 353-365

Springer, V.G. & Orrell, T.M. 2004. Appendix: phylogenetic analysis of 147 families of acanthomorph fi shes based primarily on dorsal gill-arch muscles and skeleton. pp. 236-260 in Springer, V.G. & Johnson, D.G. Study of the dorsal gill-arch musculature of teleostome fishes, with special reference to the Actinopterygii. Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington 11: 1-260

Stiassny, M.L.J. & Jensen, J.S. 1987. Labroid intrarelationships revisited: Morphology, complexity. Key innovations & the study of comparative diversity. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard 151: 269-319

Trnski, T., Leis, J.M. & Wirtz, P. 2000. Pholidichthyidae - Convict Blennies, Engineerfishes. pp. 561-564 in Leis, J.M. & Carson-Ewart, B.M. The larvae of Indo-Pacific coastal fishes. An identification guide to marine fish larvae. Fauna Malesiana Handbooks Leiden : Brill Vol. 2 870 pp.

Wiley, E.O. & Johnson, G.D. 2010. A teleost classification based on monophyletic groups. pp. 123-182 in Nelson, J.S., Schultze, H.-P. & Wilson, M.V.H. Origin and Phylogenetic Interrelationships of Teleosts. München, Germany : Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil 480 pp. [164]

Wirtz, P. 1993. Does the larva of Pholidichthys leucotaenia give a clue to the systematic position of the monotypic fish family Pholidichthyidae? pp. 237-238 in Schröder, J.H. Bauer, J. & Schartl, J. (eds.). Trends in Ichthyology - an international perspective. Oxford : Blackwell Science Ltd.

 

Common Name References

Springer, V.G. 2001. Pholidichthyidae. 3500 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. 6 pp. 3381-4218. [3500] (Convict Fish)

Trnski, T., Leis, J.M. & Wirtz, P. 2000. Pholidichthyidae - Convict Blennies, Engineerfishes. pp. 561-564 in Leis, J.M. & Carson-Ewart, B.M. The larvae of Indo-Pacific coastal fishes. An identification guide to marine fish larvae. Fauna Malesiana Handbooks Leiden : Brill Vol. 2 870 pp. [561] (Engineerfishes)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
13-Oct-2015	PHOLIDICHTHYOIDEI	08-Oct-2015	MODIFIED	Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM)
08-Oct-2015		22-Sep-2011	MOVED
22-Sep-2011		22-Sep-2011	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)