Chirodactylus | |
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Chirodactylus variegatus | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Cheilodactylidae |
Genus: | Chirodactylus T. N. Gill, 1862 |
Type species | |
Cheilodactylus antonii Valenciennes, 1833 |
Chirodactylus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. They are native to the Atlantic, Indian and eastern Pacific oceans off southern Africa and South America.
Chirodactylus was described as a genus in 1862 by the American ichthyologist Theodore Nicholas Gill with the South American Cheilodactylus antonii, which had been described by Achille Valenciennes in 1833, as the type species by monotypy. [1] Gill subsequently included two other species in Chirodactylus, C. grandis and C, variegatus. [2] C. antonii was later shown to be a synonym of Cheilodactylus variegatus. [3] Chirodactylus was largely regarded as a synonym of Cheilodactylus until 1980 when the South African ichthyologist Margaret M. Smith resurrected it to include the three southern African species C. brachydactylus, C. grandis and C. jessicalenorum, as well as C. variegatus. Genetic and morphological analyses strongly suggest that Chirodactylus is a valid genus, that the inclusion of the red moki (Cheilodactylus spectabilis) does not affect its monophyly and that the genus should be placed in the family Latridae. [2] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World, however, retains the genus within the family Cheiloactylidae. [4]
The name of the genus is a compound of cheiros which means "hand" and dactylus meaning "finger", a reference to the long, unbranched lower rays of the pectoral fins. [5]
There are currently four recognized species in this genus (sensu Smith, 1980): [2] [3]
Chirodactylus morwongs are characterised by having an ovoid, compressed body and a slightly sloped dorsal profile of the head. The continuous dorsal fin increases in height from the front spine to the sixth spine and after that the spines get shorter, there are 17-18 spines and 22-31 soft rays in the dorsal fin, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 7-10 soft rays. The pectoral fins have 14 rays with the lower 6–7 rays being simple and robust. They have 46-56 scales along the lateral line. There are no bony protuberances on the head. [2] These fishes vary in maximum total length from 40 cm (16 in) in the case of C. brachydactylus to 180 cm (71 in) for C. grandis. [6]
Chirodactylus (sensu Smith, 1980) morwongs are found in the south eastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian Ocean off southern Africa and the eastern Pacific Ocean off Peru and Chile. [2] They are typically coastal fishes of rocky areas where they feed on benthic invertebrates. [6]
Cheilodactylidae, commonly called morwongs but also known as butterfish, fingerfins, jackassfish, sea carp, snappers, and moki, is a family of marine ray-finned fish. They are found in subtropical oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. The common name "morwong" is also used as a name for several unrelated fish found in Australian waters, such as the painted sweetlips. The classification of the species within the Cheilodactylidae and the related Latridae is unclear.
The red moki also known as the banded morwong, brown-banded morwong, carp or nanua is a species of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, commonly referred to as morwongs. It is found off southern Australia and the North Island of New Zealand
The porae, the grey morwong, blue morwong, butterfish, Douglas' morwong, Eastern blue morwong, great perch, queen snapper, rubberlip morwong or silver morwong, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. found around south eastern Australia and the north eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand at depths of about 10 to 100 metres, on sandy and rocky coasts.
Nemadactylus macropterus, the tarakihi, jackass morwong or deep sea perch, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. It is found in the south western Pacific Ocean, in Australia and New Zealand. Although there are records from the southern Indian Ocean and southwestern Atlantic, these may be due to misidentifications of similar species.
Chironemus is a genus of marine ray finned fish, commonly known as kelpfishes, belonging to the family Chironemidae. They are found in the temperate waters of the Southern Pacific Ocean.
Aplodactylus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes, commonly known as marblefishes or sea carps. It is the only genus in the monogeneric family, Aplodactylidae. The fishes in this genus are found in the south eastern Indian Ocean and the southern Pacific Ocean.
The redfingers is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, commonly referred to as morwongs. It is found only off the coasts of Namibia and South Africa, in rock pools and from shallow depths to 120 m, on rocky reef areas. Its length is up to 30 cm.
The magpie perch, magpie morwong or black-striped morwong, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. It is found off southern Australia and northern New Zealand from shallow depths to 250 m (820 ft).
The barred fingerfin is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, commonly referred to as morwongs. It is found only in the southeastern Atlantic and southwestern Indian Oceans off the coasts of South Africa.
The red morwong, also known as the sea carp, is a species of marine ray finned fish traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. It is found off southeast Australia and the North Island of New Zealand from shallow depths to at least 55 m, on rocky reef and coastal areas. Its length is between 30 and 60 cm.
The painted moki, also known as the painted morwong, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. It is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Cheilodactylus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, known as morwongs, although this name is not unique to this family. They are found in the temperate waters of the southern hemisphere and in the North Pacific Ocean.
The dusky morwong is a species of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. It is native to the western and southern coastal reefs of Australia. This species is the only known member of its genus.
Nemadactylus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. They are found in the South Atlantic, Indian and South Pacific Oceans.
Latridopsis is a genus of marine ray finned fish belonging to the family Latridae, the trumpeters. They are found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and the southeastern Indian Ocean.
Goniistius is a subgenus of marine ray-finned fishes, traditionally classified as being within the genus Cheilodactylus and belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, known as morwongs, although this name is not unique to this family and the true taxonomic placement of this taxon requires clarification. They are found in the Pacific Ocean and southeastern Indian Ocean.
Morwong is a genus of marine ray-finned fish traditionally classified as a subgenus within the genus Cheilodactylus and as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae found in oceans off Australia and New Zealand. They were formerly included in the genus Cheilodactylus in family Cheilodactylidae, but based on genetic and morphological analyses they have strongly suggested that the genus Morwong is a valid genus and should be placed in the family Latridae.
Chirodactylus variegatus, the Peruvian morwong or bilagai, is a species of marine ray-finned fish traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. It is found in the southeastern Pacific Ocean off the western coast of South America.
The spottedtail morwong is a species of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. It is found in the northwest Pacific Ocean.
Nemadactylus valenciennesi, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. It is endemic to southern Australia.