Family ZENIONTIDAE

Zenionidae

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Introduction

The family Zeniontidae includes three genera (Tyler et al. 2003) and seven species, with two genera and two described species known from Australian waters. Unidentified specimens of Zenion, based on material from off Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales represent undescribed species.

Zeniontids are mostly benthic slope fishes found in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans in depths from 150 to over 1000 m. These small fishes are characterised by having very large eyes; a protrusible mouth; pelvic fins with a strong spine (serrated in Zenion) and six or seven rays; body scales of moderate size; and no bony bucklers, but a spiny ridge at the dorsal and anal fin bases. Maximum length attained is 10 cm.

The genera were previously included in the families Macrocyttidae and Zeidae (Paxton 1989), and treated as such in Heemstra (1999). Type specimens of all the named species require redescription, and the family is under revision by D.J. Bray.

General References

Heemstra, P.C. 1999. Families Parazenidae, Macrocyttidae, Zeidae, Grammicolepididae, Caproidae. pp. 2257-2261 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. 4 pp. 2069-2790.

Heemstra, P.C. 2003. Families Parazenidae, Zeniontidae, Zeidae, Oreosomatidae, Grammicolepidae. pp. 1203-1216 in Carpenter, K.E. (ed.). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Rome : FAO & American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists Vol. 2 602-1373 pp.

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E., Bray, D.J. & Hoese, D.F 2006. Zeniontidae. pp. 795-796 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. [796] (as Zeniontidae)

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [387] (as Macrurocyttidae and Zeidae)

Tyler, J.C., O'Toole, B. & Winterbottom, R.W. 2003. Phylogeny of the genera and families of zeiform fishes, with comments on their relationships with tetraodontiforms and caproids. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 618: 1-110

Common Name References

Tyler, J.C., O'Toole, B. & Winterbottom, R.W. 2003. Phylogeny of the genera and families of zeiform fishes, with comments on their relationships with tetraodontiforms and caproids. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 618: 1-110 [36] (Armoreye Dories, Capro Dories, Elongate Dories, Rough-head Dories)

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