Aracanidae - (Deepwater boxfishes)
Family (Fraser-Brunner, 1941) resurrected from Ostraciidae: Aracaninae (Tyler, 1980; Ref. 54719). Information to be completed. Suggested new common name for this family in a coming ref. following Ref. 58418. Korean name: Yug-gak-bok-gwa (Ref. 116566).
Distribution: Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Habitat: shallow waters, mainly on coral reefs around the world, usually from just below the sea surface to 50 m depth. Morphology: body deep and moderately compressed; body, encased in very thick, tough skin with large scales easily seen as individual units; in many species, scales above pectoral-fin base are enlarged, forming a flexible tympanum; mouth small and terminal or almost terminal; teeth strong, 8 in the outer series of both jaws; gill opening is a moderately short, vertical to oblique slit in front of pectoral-fin base; dorsal fins 2, D1 III with second spine more than 1/2 length of first spine and the first spine capable of being locked in an erect position by second spine; second dorsal and anal fins are similar in shape; most dorsal-, anal-, and pectoral-fin rays are branched; pelvic fins rudimentary, represented by a series of four pairs of enlarged scales encasing posterior end of pelvis (Ref. 97685). Triggerfish normally swim by undulating their second dorsal and anal fins, but will use their tail for rapid bursts. Most triggerfishes are solitary diurnal carnivores, feeding on a wide variety of invertebrates including hard-shelled mollusks and echinoderms; some also feed on algae or zooplankton. They lay demersal eggs in a nest which is aggressively guarded by the female, less often by the male. Popular and hardy in aquaria, but often aggressive (Ref. 7463).
Diodontidae - (Porcupinefishes (burrfishes))
Distribution: Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Well-developed sharp spines covering body. Body inflatable, and in some species the spines erect only when the body is inflated. Jaws with 2 fused teeth (parrotlike). Opposite premaxillaries and dentaries entirely united at midline. Adults found inshore; the young pelagic. Feed primarily on hard-shelled invertebrates crushed by the beak. Eggs are pelagic.
Molidae - (Molas or Ocean Sunfishes)
Distribution: worldwide in tropical to temperate seas. Mouth tiny; teeth united and beaklike (Ref. 50659). Jaws with 2 fused teeth. Each side of head with 2 tiny nostrils. Dorsal and anal fins lacking spines, but provides the power for locomotion. Caudal peduncle absent. Caudal fin, when present, a pseudocaudal fin being formed by posteriorly migrated dorsal and anal fin rays. No lateral line. No swim bladder. Vertebrae 16-18 (Ref. 245). Pelvic fins absent. Skin leathery and thick. Gill openings small, in front of pectoral fins. Gray above, silvery gray-brown on sides, paler or dusky below. Two species grow to about 3 m in length, largest to 1,500 kg. Fecundity can register an estimated 300,000,000 eggs in Mola mola. Young are spiny and differ markedly from adults. Slow-swimming, epipelagic plankton feeders; some prey on jellyfishes but also feed on algae, crustaceans and fishes (Ref. 50659).
Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Usually two dorsal spines; the second is usually much smaller and it may be absent. Upper jaw usually with three teeth in outer and two in the inner series on each premaxillary, developed for nibbling; 19-31 vertebrae. Alutera scripta reaches 1 m maximum length. Most species feed on a wide variety of benthic invertebrates, but some specialize on corals or zooplankton. Filefishes lay demersal eggs in a site prepared and guarded by the male or both parents. Some of the subtropical species release eggs in open water.
Since Nelson (1994: Ref. 7463), the subfamily Aracaninae (6 genera, 13 species) has been removed from the Ostraciidae and ressurected to family level (Ref. 54719). The following information concerns the Ostraciidae s.l. and must be updated. Distribution: Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. A bony carapace enclosing body. Pelvic skeleton absent. Spinous dorsal lacking. Dorsal fin rays 9-13. Anal fin rays 9-13. Non-protrusible upper jaw. Vertebrae usually 18. Some species of trunkfishes secrete ostracitoxin, poisonous to other fishes and, to some extent, even to trunkfishes. Feed on small sessile invertebrates and on algae. They are territorial and haremic, spawning pelagic eggs at dusk. Not recommended for aquaria. Other common names in use are cowfishes and trunkfishes. About 60 cm maximum length.
Distribution: tropical and subtropical areas of Atlantic, Indian and Pacific. Habitiat: Chiefly marine. Many going into and inhabiting brackish and freshwater. Morphology: Naked or with short prickles in belly. Jaw teeth fused but separated by a median suture in each jaw, giving rise to 4 fused teeth. Opposite dentaries and premaxillaries separate at midline. Usually 7-18 dorsal soft rays. Anal soft rays usually 7-18. Ribs and epipleurals lacking. Moderately forked to rounded caudal fin. Principal caudal fin rays 10; procurrent rays lacking. Capable of greatly inflating themselves with water. Attains 90 cm maximum length. Some puffers contain tetraodotoxin, especially in the viscera; in the gonads of some during spawning season. Food: Some species seem to consume about everything, whereas others have preferences for certain invertebrates or algae. Life history: Demersal eggs are laid in a nest and presumably defended. Management: European Community legislation prohibits trading with puffer fish products. Subfamilies (Ref. 123151): Tetraodontinae: Canthigasterinae (tobies or sharpnose pufferfishes): Canthigaster; Carinotetraodon.
Triacanthidae - (Triplespines)
Distribution: Indo-Pacific. Habitat: continental shelves; usually just below the sea surface to 60 m depth. Morphology: moderately elongate with a strongly compressed body; skin is moderately thick with numerous scales but not easily discernible to the unaided eye, each scale bearing upright spinules and having a rough, shagreen-like appearance; dorsal fins 2, D1 VI (with 5 spines usually visible, the sixth rudimentary) and D2 20-26; pelvic fin with a large spine and no visible soft rays; mouth is small and usually terminal; teeth in jaws with an outer series of about 10 heavy incisors and an internal series of several molars, usually 4 in the upper jaw and 2 in the lower jaw; caudal fin deeply forked, the caudal peduncle distinctly tapering to a narrow transversely indented region just in front of the caudal-fin base where the peduncle is wider than deep.
Triacanthodidae - (Spikefishes)
Distribution: western Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. Tropical and subtropical. Deepwater benthic. Morphology: easily distinguished externally from other families of the order Tetraodontiformes by the following set of characters: body deep and slightly compressed, covered by moderately thick skin with numerous small scales not readily seen to the unaided eye, each scale bearing upright spinules and having a roughly shagreen-like appearance; dorsal fins 2, D1 VI, D2 12-18; caudal fin rounded to almost truncate, not forked; most dorsal-, anal-, and pectoral-fin rays are branched; pelvic fins with a large spine and one or two inconspicuous and rudimentary soft rays; mouth small, usually terminal; teeth of moderate size, usually conical, 10 or more in an outer series in each jaw; caudal peduncle compressed, and deeper than wide, not distinctly tapered. Depth range: usually 100-600 m on continental shelves and slopes. Subfamilies: 2 (Hollardiinae, Triacanthodinae)
Triodontidae - (Three-toothed puffer)
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific. Jaws bearing 3 fused teeth. A median suture in upper jaw. Pelvis present. Anal fin rays usually 11. Dorsal fin rays usually 11. Some specimens reportedly with a spiny dorsal of 1 or 2 rays. Ribs and epipleurals present. Caudal fin deeply forked. Principal caudal fin rays 12; procurrent rays numerous. About 48 cm maximum length.
Note: Families with unknown counts of dorsal or anal spines are also included