Family SCORPIDIDAE
Compiler and date details
27 February 2012 - Douglass F. Hoese, Dianne J. Bray & Matthew M. Lockett
Introduction
As recognised here, the family contains four genera and at least 10 species, most found in the Southern Hemisphere. Three genera and six species are known from Australia. The fourth genus Medialuna is found in the Eastern Pacific. We follow Johnson (1984), Johnson & Fritsche (1989) in treating the family (along with the Scorpididae and Microcanthidae) as separate from the Kyphosidae. Gosline (1985) reviewed the early classification of the groups. Nelson (2006) placed the groups as subfamilies of the Kyphosidae. Australian workers have sometimes treated them as families (Gomon 2008) or as subfamilies (Hoese et al. (2006). Neira et al. (1997) described larvae of the groups recognising them as separate families. Molecular studies (see Yagishita et al. 2002) did not find evidence for a single large Kyphosidae. Consequently we revert here to the previous classification pending further studies.
The knifefishes (species of Bathystethus and Labracoglossus), previously placed in the family Labracoglossidae, are now considered to be members of the Scorpididaee. They have not been revised, but Ayling & Cox (1982) and Francis (2001) treated the two Australian species. The 'knifefish group' contains two genera and four species from Japan, Australia, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, New Zealand and Easter Island. Johnson (1984) placed two genera, Bathystethus and Labracoglossus, in the Scorpididae and subsequent molecular work supports that placement (Yagishita et al. 2002). Knifefishes are free-swimming, often in schools adjacent to rocky reefs in shallow water to 20 m. Species are medium sized, reaching 30 cm. The genus Evistius is sometimes placed here, but Whitley (1941) regarded Evistius, which was apparently described on the basis of a juvenile, as a junior synonym of Latridopsis in the family Latridae.
General References
Francis, M. 2001. Coastal Fishes of New Zealand. Auckland : Reed Publishing (NZ) 3rd edn, 103 pp.
Gomon, M.F. 2008. Families Monodactylidae, Arripidae, Kyphosidae, Girellidae, Microcanthidae, Scorpididae. pp. 596-607 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.
Gosline, W. 1985. Relationships among some relatively deep-bodied percoid fish groups. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 31(4): 351-357
Hoese, D.F. & Bray, D.J. 2006. Family Kyphosidae. pp. 1317-1327 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.
Johnson, G.D. 1984. Percoidei: development and relationships. pp. 464-498 figs 254-264 in Moser, H.G. et al. (eds). Ontogeny and Systematics of Fishes. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Special Publication 1: 1-760
Johnson, G.D. & Fritzsche, R.A. 1989. Graus nigra, an omnivorous girellid, with comparative osteology and comments on relationships of the Girellidae (Pisces: Perciformes). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 141: 1-27
Neira, F.J. Miskiewicz, A.G. & Bruce, B.D. 1997. Larvae of five fish families with pattern 10 of the ramus lateralis accessorius nerve (Arripidae, Girellidae, Kyphosidae, Microcanthidae and Scorpididae): relevance to relationships. Bulletin of Marine Science 60(1): 117-138
Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.
Waite, E.R. 1921. Illustrated catalogue of the fishes of South Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 2(1): 1-208 293 figs pl. 1 [fig. 172]
Whitley, G.P. 1941. Ichthyological notes and illustrations. The Australian Zoologist 10(1): 1-50 figs 1-32 pls 1-2
Yagishita, N., Kobayashi, T. & Nakabo, T. 2002. Review of monophyly of the Kyphosidae (sensu Nelson, 1994), inferred from the mitochondrial ND2 gene. Ichthyological Research 49(2): 103-108
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13-Feb-2012 | ADDED |