Family PHOSICHTHYIDAE
Lightfishes, Lighthouse Fishes, Lighthousefishes
Compiler and date details
19 May 2020 - Dianne J. Bray, Alice M. Clement, John R. Paxton, Jennifer E. Gates & Douglass F. Hoese
11 November 2013 - Dianne J. Bray, Alice M. Clement, John R. Paxton, Jennifer E. Gates & Douglass F. Hoese
John R. Paxton, Jennifer E. Gates, Dianne J. Bray & Douglass F. Hoese
Introduction
The Phosichthyidae include 24 species (Eschmeyer & Fong 2012, Nelson et al. 2016) in seven genera, of which 12 species in five genera have been taken in Australian waters. Phosichthyids were previously included as members of the Gonostomatidae, but here the classifications of Weitzman (1974) and Nelson (1994) have been adopted in recognising two distinct families.
Phosichthyids are either benthopelagic over the continental slope or mesopelagic in the waters of all oceans. They are laterally compressed with two or more rows of ventral photophores. They differ from the similar gonostomatids in osteological features such as having fewer pectoral radials, and in the microstructure of the light organs. Compared to the sternoptychids they have more branchiostegal rays and photophores. Crustaceans are their primary food source. Maximum size for the family is about 30 cm.
The lighthousefishes were revised by Grey (1964), as part of the family Gonostomatidae. Similarly, Kawaguchi (1971) and Spanovskaya & Grigorash (1979) reviewed species from the western Pacific Ocean. Parin & Borodulina (1990) treated Polymetme. Eschmeyer (1990) is followed here in accepting the correct spelling of the family as Phosichthyidae. The name Photichthyidae, in common usage, was based on an unjustified emendation of the genus name Phosichthys. See discussion in Van der Laan et al. (2014). Nelson (1994) retained the name Photichthyidae. Wiley & Johnson (2010) also recognised the name Photichthyidae, and considered the group to be paraphyletic following Harold & Weitzman (1996), with genera more (Ichthyococcus) or less (Yarrella) closely related to Stomiidae.
General References
Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fong, J.D. 2012. Species of Fishes by family/subfamily. Catalog of Fishes. Online version updated 15 March 2012. http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp
Grey, M. 1964. Family Gonostomatidae. pp. 78-240 figs 21-61 in Olsen, Y.H. Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(4): 1-599
Harold, A.S. & Weitzman, S.H. 1996. Interrelationships of stomiiform fishes. pp. 333-353 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 pp.
Kawaguchi, K. 1971. Gonostomatid fishes of the western North Pacific. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 18(1): 1-16 figs 1-7 pls 1-3
Nelson, J.S. 1994. Fishes of the World. New York : John Wiley & Sons 600 pp.
Parin, N.V. & Borodulina, O.D. 1990. Review of the genus Polymetme (Photichthyidae) with the description of two new species. Voprosy Ikhtiologii 30(5): 733-743
Spanovskaya, V.D. & Grigorash, V.A. 1979. Gonostomatids (Fam. Gonostomatidae) of the Australian-New Zealand region. Trudy Instituta Okeanologii. Akademiya Nauk SSSR. Moskva 106: 57-68 figs 1-2 [in Russian]
Van der Laan, R., Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fricke, R. 2014. Family-group names of recent fishes. Zootaxa 3882(1): 1–230
Weitzman, S.H. 1974. Osteology and evolutionary relationships of the Sternoptychidae, with a new classification of stomiatoid families. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 153(3): 327-478 figs 1-113
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.
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. [248] (Lighthouse Fishes)
Harold, A.S. 1999. Families Gonostomatidae, Sternoptychidae, Phosichthyidae, Astronesthidae, Stomiidae, Chauliodontidae, Melanostomiidae, Idiacanthidae, Malacosteidae. pp. 1896-1917 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. [1903] (Lightfishes, Lighthousefishes)
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11-Sep-2020 | STOMIIFORMES | 19-May-2020 | MODIFIED | Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM) |
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |