Driftfish

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Driftfishes
Psenes pellucidus.jpg
Bluefin driftfish, Psenes pellucidus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scombriformes
Suborder: Stromateoidei
Family: Nomeidae
Günther, 1860
Genera [1]

Nomeidae, the driftfishes, are a family of scombriform ray-finned fishes found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world. The family includes about 16 species. The largest species, such as the Cape fathead, Cubiceps capensis, reach 1 m in length.

Several species are found in association with siphonophores (which are colonies of tiny individual animals that have specialised functions which resemble jellyfish) such as the Portuguese man o' war; the man-of-war fish, Nomeus gronovii, is known to eat its tentacles and gonads, as well as feeding on other jellyfishes. Other species of driftfishes are associated with the floating seaweed Sargassum . The Cape fathead feeds mainly on salps. Some species of Cubiceps are occasionally caught on pelagic longlines set for swordfish.

Man-of-war fish, Nomeus gronovii Nomeus gronovii.jpg
Man-of-war fish, Nomeus gronovii
Silver driftfish, Psenes maculatus Psenes maculatus.jpg
Silver driftfish, Psenes maculatus

Timeline of genera

QuaternaryNeogenePaleogeneHolocenePleist.Plio.MioceneOligoceneEocenePaleoceneCubicepsPsenesQuaternaryNeogenePaleogeneHolocenePleist.Plio.MioceneOligoceneEocenePaleoceneDriftfish

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References

  1. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Nomeidae". FishBase . February 2014 version.