Percophidae | |
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Brazilian flathead, Percophis brasiliensis | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Trachiniformes |
Family: | Percophidae Swainson, 1839 [1] |
Subfamilies | |
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The Percophidae, duckbills, are a family of percomorph fishes, from the order Trachiniformes, found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and in the southwestern and southeastern Pacific.
They are small fishes: the largest species, the Brazilian flathead, Percophis brasiliensis, grows up to about 50 centimetres (20 in), but 10 centimetres (3.9 in) to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) is more typical. A few species are fished commercially, including the Brazilian flathead.
Percophidae was first proposed as a family in 1839 by the English zoologist William John Swainson as a subfamily of the Percidae. [2] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies this family within the order Trachiniformes and divides it into the subfamilies Bempropinae, Henerocoetinae and Percophinae. [3] Other authorities recognise thie family Percophinidae as being monotypic with only Percophis classified within it and placed in the suborder Percophoidei of the order Perciformes. They classify the other two subfamilies as families, the Bembropidae within the monotypic suborder, Bembropoidei, of Perciformes, and the Hemerocoetidae which they classify within the order Acropomatiformes, the Oceanic basses. [4]
The family Percophidae is divided into three subfamilies [3]
The species in the family Percophidae are elongated, benthic fishes with an anteriorly depressed head, a broad flat snout which gives rise to the common name duckbills. The mouth is large with a prognathous lower jaw and exposed maxilla. They have large closely placed eyes. There are two spines on the opercula and one on subopercula. They have tiny conical teeth on the mandibles and on the vomer and palatine bones. There are two dorsal fins an anterior dorsal fin with 6 slender spines and a posterior dorsal fin with 13 to 18 soft rays, the pelvic fins have 1 weak spine and 5 branched rays and these are positioned anteriorly to the pectoral fins with their bases widely separated. The anal fin has only 15 to 25 soft rays and the pectoral fins have between 20 and 28 rays. They body is covered in ctenoid scales and the lateral line curves underneath the anterior dorsal fin to below the middle of the flank with the 2 or 3 scales nearest the head being keeled. They are generally brownish in colour with indistinct dark blotches along the body. They are benthic, carnivorous fish which are found at depths of 100–600 metres (330–1,970 ft). They are relatively small and uncommon and are of no interest to fisheries. [5]
Agonidae is a family of small, bottom-dwelling, cold-water marine fish. Common names for members of this family include poachers, Irish lords, sea ravens, alligatorfishes, starsnouts, hooknoses, and rockheads. They are notable for having elongated bodies covered by scales modified into bony plates, and for using their large pectoral fins to move in short bursts. The family includes about 59 species in some 25 genera, some of which are quite widespread.
The South Australian cobbler, better known as the soldier but also known as the cobbler, devilfish or soldierfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a waspfish, belonging to the subfamily Tetraroginae which is classified within the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. It is endemic to southern Australia. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Gymnapistes.
Hexagrammidae, the greenlings, is a family of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the suborder Cottoidei in the order Scorpaeniformes. These fishes are found in the North Pacific Ocean.
Pholidae is a family of marine ray-finned fishes, known as gunnels, in the scorpaeniform suborder Zoarcoidei. These are fishes of the littoral zone and are mainly found in North Pacific Ocean, with two species found in the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean.
Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks or shannies, are a family of marine ray-finned fishes in the suborder Zoarcoidei of the order Scorpaeniformes. Most species are found in the North Pacific Ocean with a few in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Bembridae, the deep-water flatheads, are a family of bottom-dwelling ray-finned fishes. They are found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.
Cryptacanthodes is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the monogeneric family Cryptacanthodidae, commonly referred to as wrymouths. Three of the four species are found in the Pacific Ocean with one species native to the western Atlantic Ocean where they are benthic fishes, tunneling through soft substrates. It is currently the only known genus in its family.
Paraploactis is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, velvetfishes belonging to the family Aploactinidae. The genus is found the Indo-Pacific.
The deceitful velvetfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a velvetfish, belonging to the family Aploactinidae. This species is endemic to the oceans around Australia. This species is the only known member of its genus.
Platycephaloidei is a suborder of ray-finned fishes, part of the order Scorpaeniformes, and includes the flatheads, ghost flatheads and sea robins.
Easchmeyer nexus is a species of marine ray-finned fish; it is the only species in the monotypic genus Eschmeyer and monogeneric family Eschmeyeridae. This fish is only known from the Pacific Ocean, near Fiji.
Hoplichthys, the ghost flatheads, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This genus is the only member of the family Hoplichthyidae.
Insidiator is a genus of marine, demersal ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae. These fishes are native to the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.
Plectrogenium, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes, the stinger flatheads, the only genus classified within the subfamily Plectrogeninae, which in turn is classified within the family Scorpaenidae. This genus is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The pitted stonefish, also known as the Pacific monkey-fish, is a species of venomous ray-finned fish, a stonefish be longing to the subfamily Synanceiinae of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Erosa and is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
The blackfin stonefish is a species of venomous ray-finned fish, a stonefish be longing to the subfamily Synanceiinae of the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and their relatives. It is the only species in the monotypic genus. It is native to the western Indian Ocean where it occurs in areas with muddy bottoms. This species grows to a total length of 13 centimetres (5.1 in).
The stargazing stonefish is a species of stonefish native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean where it is found on muddy bottoms in estuaries. This venomous species is also a minor component of local commercial fisheries. This species grows to a length of 8 centimetres (3.1 in) SL. This species is the only known member of the genus Trachicephalus.
Bovichtus is a genus of fish in the family Bovichtidae found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean.
Nototheniops is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes. The species in this genus are native to the Southern Ocean.
The Brazilian flathead is a species of duckbill which is the only species in the genus Percophis, the type genus of the monotypic subfamily Percophinae of the duckbill family Percophidae. It occurs in the south western Atlantic off the South American coast from southern Brazil to central Argentina.