Macroramphosus

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Macroramphosus
Macroramphosus gracilis NOAA.jpg
Macroramphosus gracilis
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Suborder: Aulostomoidei
Superfamily: Centriscoidea
Family: Macroramphosidae
Genus: Macroramphosus
Lacepède, 1803
Type species
Silurus cornutus
Forsskål, 1775
Species

See text

Macroramphosus, snipefishes or bellowfishes, is a genus of fishes found in tropical and subtropical oceans at depths down to 600 metres (2,000 ft). According to FishBase, they are part of the family Centriscidae, but Nelson (2016) split that family, in which case the genus Macroramphosus is in the family Macroramphosidae.[1] They have long second spines on their dorsal fins and tiny mouths at the tip of their greatly elongated snouts. The bodies of snipefish are more streamlined than in the related bellowfishes. They reach a maximum length of about 20 cm (7.9 in), and are silvery or reddish in colour. They are sometimes found in large schools. This is the only genus on the monogeneric family Macroranphosidae[1] but some authorities include the genera Centriscops and Notopogon in this family too.[2]

Species[]

Currently, two recognized species are placed in this genus:[3]

  • Macroramphosus gracilis (R. T. Lowe, 1839) (slender snipefish)
  • Macroramphosus scolopax (Linnaeus, 1758) (longspine snipefish)

References[]

  1. ^ a b Nelson, JS; Grande, TC & Wilson, MVH (2016). "Classification of fishes from Fishes of the World 5th Edition" (PDF). Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Bellowfishes, MACRORAMPHOSIDAE". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). Species of Macroramphosus in FishBase. October 2012 version.


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