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Family Oplegnathidae - Knifejaws

Order:

Perciformes

Class:

Actinopterygii

No. of Genera:

No. of Species:

Environment:

Fresh: No Brackish: No Marine: Yes

Aquarium:

none

First Fossil Record:

Ref.:

Remark:

Distribution: Japan, southern half of Australia to Tasmania, Galapagos and Peru, and South Africa. Teeth fused forming a parrotlike beak in adults. Low spinous dorsal fin in adults. Spinous and soft dorsal fin about the same height and are countinuous in juveniles. Spines in dorsal fin 11 or 12; soft rays 11-22. Three spines in anal fin; 11-16 soft rays. Very small scales. About 0.9 m maximum length. Feed on barnacles and mollusks. Foodfishes. Usually not kept in aquaria. Assumed to be nonguarders (RF).

Etymology:

Name from the Greek '(h)oplon' for 'weapon' (P.Adamcka, pers.comm. 08/09) and 'gnathos' for jaw ( Ref. 45335); there is also a substantive (h)ople, meaning 'hoof' (of an ass or horse), which may have a very sharp edge, and was perhaps also in Richardson's imagination.

Division:

Marine

Reproductive guild:

nonguarders

Main Ref.:

Nelson, J.S..1984

Coordinator:

Show species | Nominal species list for Oplegnathidae | CAS specimen photos | References

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