Order LAMPRIDIFORMES


Common name: Crestfishes, Moonfishes, Oarfishes, Opahs, Ribbonfishes, Threadtails and Tube-eyes
Summary:

The Lampridiformes is a group of mostly pelagic fishes found worldwide in oceanic waters, usually between 100-1000 metres.

Species are morphologically diverse, with body forms ranging from very deep and compressed, to extremely long and ribbon-like. All have a highly protrusible upper jaw, due to a unique and unusual modification that allows both the premaxilla and maxilla to extend together when the upper jaw is protruded. Some species are best known from specimens washed ashore.

Recent molecular studies by Miya et al .(2007) indicate that the rare deep-sea famliy Stylephoridae does not belong in the Lampridiformes, but is more closely related to Gadiforme fishes.

Author: Bray, D.J. 2020

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2020, Opahs, ribbonfishes, LAMPRIDIFORMES in Fishes of Australia, accessed 30 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/order/24

Order References


Bray, D.J. 2008. Family Lamprididae. pp. 297 in Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Davesne, D., Friedman, M., Barriel, V., Lecointre, G., Janvier, P., Gallut, C. and Otero, O. 2014, Early fossils illuminate character evolution and interrelationships of Lampridiformes (Teleostei, Acanthomorpha). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. doi: 10.1111/zoj.12166

Francis, M., L. Griggs & C.O. Maolagain. 2004. Growth rate, age at maturity, longevity and natural mortality rate of moonfish (Lampris guttatus). Final Research Report for Ministry of Fisheries Research Project TUN2003-01 Objective 1. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research: 1-28.

Gon, O. 1990. Lampridae. In: Gon, O. & P.C. Heemstra (eds). Fishes of the Southern Ocean. JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, South Africa.

Hawn, D.R. & B.B. Collette. 2012. What are the maximum size and live body coloration of opah (Teleostei: Lampridae: Lampris species)? Ichthyol Res DOI 10.1007/s10228-012-0277-z

Heemstra, P.C. 1986. Lampridae. In: Smith, M.M. & P.C. Heemstra (eds). Smiths’ sea fishes. JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, South Africa: 398 p.

Jackson, G.D., N.G. Buxton, M.J. A. George. 2000. Diet of the southern opah Lampris immaculatus on the Patagonian Shelf; the significance of the squid Moroteuthis ingens and anthropogenic plastic. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 206: 261–271.

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons 4th Edn 601 p.

NOAA. 2011. Fish Watch. Opah. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/species/opah.htm

Olney, J.E. 1984. Lampridiformes: development and relationships, pp. 155-169, In Moser, H.G., W.J. Richards, D.M. Cohen, M.P. Fahay, A.W. Kendall, Jr, and S.L. Richardson (eds). Ontogeny and systematics of fishes. Spec. Publ. No. 1, Amer. Soc. Ichthy. Herpet., ix + 760 pp.

Olney, J.E. 1999. Lampridiformes, In Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem. Species identification guide for fisheries purposes. The living marine resources of the western central Pacific. Batoid fishes, chimeras and bony fishes. Part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome.

Olney, J.E., G.D. Johnson & C.C. Baldwin. 1993. Phylogeny of lampridiform fishes. Bull. Mar. Sci. 52: 137-169.

Parin, N.V. & E.I. Kukuyev. 1983. Re-establishment of the validity of Lampris immaculata Gilchrist and the geographical distribution of Lampridae. Journal of Ichthyology 23(1): 1-12.

Paxton, J.R. & Gates, J.E. 2006. Family Lamprididae. pp. 536-537 in Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3 2178 pp. [536]

Pepperell J (2010) Fishes of the open ocean. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Rosenblatt, R.H. & G.D. Johnson. 1976. Anatomical considerations of pectoral swimming in opah, Lampris guttatus. Copeia 1976: 367–370.

Runcie RM, Dewar H, Hawn DR, Franck LR, Dickson KA (2009) Evidence for cranial endothermy in the opah (Lampris guttatus). J Exper Biol 212: 461–470.

Wiley, E.O., Johnson, G.D. & Dimmick, W.W. 1998. The phylogenetic relationships of lampridiform fishes (Teleostei: Acanthomorpha), based on a total-evidence analysis of morphological and molecular data. Molec. Phylogenet. Evol. 10(3): 417–425.