Genus Choerodon

Tuskfishes of the genus Choerodon, have their greatest diversity in the northern Australia, where more than half the 27 species occur.

Species have the following combination of characters: Dorsal fin rays XII or XIII (rarely XI or XIV), 7 or 8 (rarely 6 or 9), total rays 20 (rarely 19); anal fin rays III, 9 or 10 (rarely 11); caudal fin rays 7–10 + 12 + 7–9 (rarely 6); pectoral fin rays ii, 13–17 (rarely 12); vertebrae 10 or 11 + 16 or 17 = 27; pleural ribs ending on 10th or 11th vertebra; epipleural ribs ending on 10th–14th vertebra; lateral line scales 27 (rarely 26) + 2; scales above lateral line 2½–5; scales below lateral line approximately 8½–11; predorsal scales approximately 4–15; total gill rakers 13–18.

Choerodon is from the Greek choiros, “pig”, and odon, “tooth”, in reference to the prominent anterior canines in species of this genus.