The Grammicolepididae are a small family of deep-sea ray-finned fishes in the order Zeiformes.[1][2][3][4] They are called tinselfishes due to their silvery color.[5] They are found near the bottom on the continental slope in the tropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Indian and western-central Pacific Oceans. They are of no commercial interest but are sometimes caught in trawls.[4]
| Tinselfishes | |
|---|---|
| |
| Thorny tinselfish, Grammicolepis brachiusculus, filmed by the NOAA Ocean Explorer at Northampton Seamounts, 40 miles (65 km) southwest of Laysan, Hawaii. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Zeiformes |
| Family: | Grammicolepididae Poey, 1873 |
| Subfamilies & genera[1] | |
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Subfamily Grammicolepidinae | |
Genera and species
editThe family consists of three species in as many genera in two subfamilies:[1][2][3][4]
Subfamily Grammicolepidinae
- Grammicolepis
- Macrurocyttus acanthopodus Fowler, 1934
- Xenolepidichthys
- Xenolepidichthys dalgleishi Gilchrist 1922
Subfamily Macrurocyttinae
- Macrurocyttus
- Macrurocyttus acanthopodus Fowler, 1934
Phylogeny
editMolecular data not including Macrurocyttus suggest that Grammicolepididae is a monophyletic group, but without robust identification of its sister group. Morphological data including Macrurocyttus suggest that the family is polyphyletic, with Macrurocyttus representing a clade distant from Grammicolepis+Xenolepidichthys.[6]
Description
editThe largest species, the thorny tinselfish, Grammicolepis brachiusculus, grows up to 64 cm (25 in) long.[1] Grammicolepis and Xenolepidichthys are silvery fishers with deep and compressed bodies. They have unique, vertically elongate scales. Macrurocyttus are dark brown to black, without scales, and smaller, to 10 cm (3.9 in). They have extremely large eyes and one large serrated spine in the pelvic fins.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Grammicolepididae". FishBase. June 2024 version.
- ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the family Grammicolepididae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ a b Nelson, J. S. (2006). Fishes of the World (4 ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. p. 307. ISBN 978-0-471-25031-9.
- ^ a b c d Bray, D.J. (2018). "Family GRAMMICOLEPIDIDAE". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ Lorna Siggins (23 December 2010). "First recorded Tinsel fish makes timely visit to Irish waters". Irish Times. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ Grande, Terry C.; Borden, W. Calvin; Wilson, Mark V. H.; Scarpitta, Lindsay (2018). "Phylogenetic relationships among fishes in the order Zeiformes based on molecular and morphological data". Copeia. 106 (1): 20–48. doi:10.1643/CG-17-594.