Oplegnathus

Oplegnathus
Temporal range: Early Miocene to present[1]
O. fasciatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Centrarchiformes
Family: Oplegnathidae
Bleeker, 1853[2]
Genus: Oplegnathus
J. Richardson, 1840
Type species
Oplegnathus conwaii
J. Richardson, 1840[3]
Synonyms[4]
  • Scaradon Temminck & Schlegel, 1844
  • Ichthyorhamphos Castelnau, 1861
  • Scarostoma Kner, 1867

Oplegnathus is currently the sole recognized genus in the knifejaw family (Oplegnathidae) of marine centrarchiform ray-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]

  1. ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Oplegnathus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  4. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Oplegnathidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  5. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Oplegnathidae". FishBase. February 2014 version.
  6. ^ 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.