Distribution:
Marine; Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea and the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Remarks:
The family name 'Callanthiidae' comes from the Greek kallos, meaning "beautiful" and anthias, meaning "fish." These fishes, also called "splendid perches" are often beautiful and brightly colored.
They have a flat nasal organ that lacks lamellae. The lateral line runs along the base of the dorsal fin and ends near the end of the dorsal fin or on the caudal peduncle. The dorsal fin consists of 11 spines and 9-11 soft rays. These fishes have a midlateral row of scales with grooves and pits.
This family achieves a maximum length of 25 cm. The callanthid groppos comprise 2 genera Callanthias and Grammatonotus, and 12 species.
References:
Nelson 2006