Oplegnathus
| Oplegnathus Temporal range: [1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| O. fasciatus | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Centrarchiformes |
| Suborder: | Terapontoidei |
| Family: | OplegnathidaeBleeker, 1853[2] |
| Genus: | OplegnathusJ. Richardson, 1840 |
| Type species | |
| Oplegnathus conwaii J. Richardson, 1840[3] | |
| Synonyms[4] | |
| |
Oplegnathus is currently the sole recognized genus in the knifejaw family (Oplegnathidae) of marine centrarchiformray-finned fishes.[5] The largest, the Cape knifejaw, can reach a maximum length around 90 cm (35 in). Knifejaws have teeth fused into a parrot-like beak in adulthood. They feed on barnacles and mollusks, and are fished commercially. They are native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans.[6]
The earliest records of knifejaws are fossilized beaks, with attached teeth, known from middle Eocene-aged sediments of the La Meseta Formation of Antarctica. Their early occurrence in Antarctica supports it having temperate climate during the Eocene, and that knifejaws had a wider distribution in the past than today.[1]
Species
The currently recognized species in this genus are:[7]
- Oplegnathus conwayiJ. Richardson, 1840, 1840 (Cape knifejaw)
- Oplegnathus fasciatus(Temminck & Schlegel, 1844) (barred knifejaw or striped beakfish)
- Oplegnathus insignis(Kner, 1867) (Pacific beakfish)
- Oplegnathus peaolopesiJ. L. B. Smith, 1947 (Mozambique knifejaw)
- Oplegnathus punctatus(Temminck & Schlegel, 1844) (spotted knifejaw)
- Oplegnathus robinsoniRegan, 1916 (Natal knifejaw)
- Oplegnathus woodwardiWaite, 1900 (knifejaw)
References
- ^ ab"An oplegnathid fish from the Eocene of Antarctica | The Palaeontological Association". www.palass.org. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
- ^Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014). "Family-group names of Recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (2): 001–230. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1. PMID 25543675.
- ^Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Oplegnathus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Oplegnathidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Oplegnathidae". FishBase. February 2014 version.
- ^J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. p. 437. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.
- ^Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Oplegnathus". FishBase. February 2014 version.
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