Family GEMPYLIDAE

Gempylidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Rexea solandri

© Copyright Waite, 1911

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Introduction

The Gempylidae comprise 16 genera and 24 species worldwide (Roberts & Stewart 1997; Nelson 2006), with 14 genera and 17 species represented in Australian waters.

Snake mackerels occur worldwide, primarily in oceanic environments where they are epi-, meso-, or bentho-pelagic, but they are also found in coastal areas where some species are common. A few species, such as Gemfish, have been part of a major commercial fishery in Australia (Kailola et al. 1993). A maximum size of 2 m is reached by a number of species.

Parin & Paxton (1990) provided a guide to the Australian gemfishes, and most Australian species are treated in Nakamura & Parin (1993, 2001). Only recently several species have been recognised as distinct, and thus earlier literature records are often inaccurate.

General References

Bray, D.J. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Sphyraenidae and Gempylidae. pp. 1748-1760 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. [1753]

Kailola, P.J., Williams, M.J., Stewart, P.C., Reichelt, R.E., McNee, A. & Grieve, C. 1993. Australian Fisheries Resources. Canberra : Bureau of Resource Sciences and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation 422 pp.

Nakamura, I. & Parin, N.V. 1993. FAO Species Catalogue. Snake mackerels and cutlassfishes of the world (families Gempylidae and Trichiuridae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the Snake Mackerels, Snoeks, Escolars, Gemfishes, Sackfishes, Domine, Oilfish, Cutlassfishes, Scabbardfishes, Hairtails, and Frostfishes known to date. Fisheries Synopsis No. 125, Vol. 15. Rome : FAO 136 pp. 200 figs.

Nakamura, I. & Parin, N.V. 2001. Gempylidae, Trichiuridae. pp. 3698-3720 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.

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

Parin, N.V. & Paxton, J.R. 1990. Australia's east coast gemfish. Australian Fisheries 49(5): 115

Roberts, C.D. & Stewart, A.L. 1997. Gemfishes (Scombroidei, Gempylidae, Rexea) of New Caledonia, southwest Pacific Ocean, with description of a new species. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 174: 125-141

Waite, E.R. 1911. Scientific results of the New Zealand government trawling expedition 1907. Pisces. Part 2. Records of the Canterbury Museum 1(3): 157-272 figs 1-3 pls 24-57 [pl. 52]

Common Name References

Nakamura, I. & Parin, N.V. 1993. FAO Species Catalogue. Snake mackerels and cutlassfishes of the world (families Gempylidae and Trichiuridae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the Snake Mackerels, Snoeks, Escolars, Gemfishes, Sackfishes, Domine, Oilfish, Cutlassfishes, Scabbardfishes, Hairtails, and Frostfishes known to date. Fisheries Synopsis No. 125, Vol. 15. Rome : FAO 136 pp. 200 figs. [20] (Escolars, Gemfishes, Sackfishes, Snake Mackerels, Snoeks)

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