Family URANOSCOPIDAE

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Introduction

Currently, seven genera and 53 described species are recognised in the Uranoscopidae (Eschmeyer 2014; Eschmeyer & Fong 2014), with five genera and 18 described and several undescribed species known from Australia (Martin Gomon, pers. comm).

Uranoscopids are found in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. They inhabit a range of bottom types in shallow coastal waters to moderately deep waters on the continental slope to depths of around 900 m, typically burying themselves in sand or mud. Although primarily marine, several species are estuarine and some have reportedly been found in fresh water. They are distinctive in having large bony heads with upwardly directed eyes and very large mouths. Stargazers are small to moderately large fishes, some reaching about 90 cm in length.

The family was first reviewed by Mees (1960) and, although focusing on Western Australian species, Mees provided a family synopsis and a key to the known genera. Pietsch (1989) reviewed the phylogenetic relationships of the family and included generic diagnoses, synonymies and a key to genera. Kishimoto et al. (1988) revised Pleuroscopus and Springer & Bauchot (1994) recognised Xenocephalus as a senior synonym of Gnathagnus. Gomon & Johnson (1999) revised Ichthyscopus, and Kishimoto (2001) treated some species that are known from Australia, including one that, apparently, is undescribed. Gomon (1994, 2008) treated species found in Southern Australia. Vilasri (2013) studied the comparative anatomy and phylogenetic systematics of the family. Thacker et al. (2015) placed the family in the order Uranoscopiformes along with the Cheimarrichthyidae, Ammodytidae, Leptoscopidae and Pinguipedidae.

 

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

URANOSCOPIDAE: Genyagnus monopterygius Bloch & Schneider, 1801 [confined to New Zealand, Tonga and Tahiti] — Kishimoto, H. 2001. Uranoscopidae. pp. 3519-3531 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. [3525]

 

General References

Eschmeyer, W.N. 2014. Catalog of Fishes. Online version updated 19 May 2014. http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp

Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fong, J.D. 2014. Species of Fishes by family/subfamily. Catalog of Fishes. Online version updated 19 May 2014. http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp

Gomon, M.F. 1994. Family Uranoscopidae. pp. 718-725, figs 630-635 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs.

Gomon, M.F. 2008. Family Uranoscopidae. pp. 678-683 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Gomon, M.F. & Johnson, J.W. 1999. A new fringed stargazer (Uranoscopidae: Ichthyscopus) with descriptions of the other Australian species in the genus. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(2): 597-619 figs 1-9

Kishimoto, H. 2001. Uranoscopidae. pp. 3519-3531 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.

Kishimoto, H., Last, P.R., Fujii, E. & Gomon, M.F. 1988. Revision of a deep-sea stargazer genus Pleuroscopus. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 35(2): 150-158

Mees, G.F. 1960. The Uranoscopidae of Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 43(2): 46-53 figs 1-9

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

Pietsch, T.W. 1989. Phylogenetic relationships of trachinoid fishes of the family Uranoscopidae. Copeia 1989(2): 253-303

Springer, V.G. & Bauchot, M.-L. 1994. Identification of the taxa Xenocephalidae, Xenocephalus, and X. armatus (Osteichthys: Uranoscopidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 107(1): 79-89 figs 1-2

Thacker, C.E., Takashi P., Satoh, T.P., Katayama, T., Harrington, R.C., Eytan, R.I. & Near, T.J. 2015. Molecular phylogeny of Percomorpha resolves Trichonotus as the sister lineage to Gobioidei (Teleostei: Gobiiformes) and confirms the polyphyly of Trachinoidei. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 93: 172–179

Vilasri, V. 2013. Comparative anatomy and phylogenetic systematics of the family Uranoscopidae (Actinopterygii: Perciformes). Memoirs of the Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University 55(1/2): 1-106

 

Common Name References

Pollard, J. (ed.) 1980. G.P. Whitley's Handbook of Australian Fishes. North Sydney : Jack Pollard Publishing Pty Ltd 629 pp. [265] (Australian Marketing Name) (Stargazers, Stonelifters)

Yearsley, G.K., Last, P.R. & Ward, R.D. (eds) 1999. Australian Seafood Handbook. Hobart : CSIRO Marine Research 460 pp. [247] (Monkfish)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
08-Oct-2015	TRACHINOIDEI	02-Oct-2015	MODIFIED	Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM)
22-Sep-2011		22-Sep-2011	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)