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Family
Oplegnathidae (Knifejaws)
Species Currently in the DFL
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About This Family
Distribution:
Indo-Pacific (South Africa, Japan, southern Australia, Tasmania, Hawaiian archipelago, Galapagos, and Peru).
Habitat:
Marine.
Remarks:
The Oplegnathidae family is unusually small and contains only seven species, all in the genus Oplegnathus. They are distributed in the temperate waters of South Africa, Japan, Galapagos, Peru, and southern Australia. Knifejaws have deep, compressed bodies, teeth fused into a parrot-like beak, and small scales.
One long, continuous dorsal fin present with 11-12 spines and 11-22 soft rays. The anal fin contains three spines and 11-16 soft rays. They can grow to a maximum length at 9 cm.
Knifejaws generally feed on barnacles and mollusks.
This family comprises one genus, Ophegnathus, with about seven species.
References:
Nelson 2006; Robertson & Allen 2008; FishBase 2008