Triacanthodinae

Triacanthodinae is a subfamily of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. This subfamily comprises nine genera and a total of nineteen species and all, except one species, are found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. The exception is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

Triacanthodinae
Triacanthodes anomalus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Tetraodontiformes
Family:	Triacanthodidae
Subfamily:	Triacanthodinae Gill, 1862
Genera
see text

Taxonomy

Triacanthodinae is the nominate subfamily of the family Triacanthodidae, a taxon name first proposed by the American biologist Theodore Gill in 1862.^[1] In 1968 the American ichthyologist James C. Tyler proposed that the family Triacanthodidae be split into two subfamilies, establishing the subfamily Hollardiinae for the genera Hollardia and Parahollardia.^[2] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the family Triacanthodidae in the suborder Triacanthoidei along with the family Triacanthidae, the triplefins.^[3]

Etymology

Triacanthodinae is a name based on its type genus Triacanthodes. which appends -odes, meaning "is similar to", onto Triacanthus, a genus these fishes were thought to be clsoley related to.^[4]

Genera and species

Triacanthodinae contains the following genera and species:^[2][5]

• Atrophacanthus Fraser-Brunner, 1950
  • Atrophacanthus japonicus (Kamohara, 1941)
• Bathyphylax Myers 1934
  • Bathyphylax bombifrons Myers, 1934
  • Bathyphylax omen Tyler, 1966
  • Bathyphylax pruvosti Santini, 2006
• Halimochirurgus Alcock, 1899
  • Halimochirurgus alcocki Weber, 1913
  • Halimochirurgus centriscoides Alcock, 1899
• Johnsonina Myers, 1934
  • Johnsonina eriomma Myers, 1934
• Macrorhamphosodes Fowler, 1934
  • Macrorhamphosodes platycheilus Fowler. 1934
  • Macrorhamphosodes uradoi (Kamohara, 1933)
• Mephisto Tyler, 1966
  • Mephisto albomaculosus Matsuura, Psomadakis & Tun, 2018
  • Mephisto fraserbrunneri Tyler, 1966
• Paratriacanthodes Fowler, 1934
  • Paratriacanthodes abei Tyler, 1997
  • Paratriacanthodes herrei Myers, 1934
  • Paratriacanthodes retrospinis Fowler, 1934
• Triacanthodes Bleeker, 1857
  • Triacanthodes anomalus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1850)
  • Triacanthodes ethiops Alcock, 1894
  • Triacanthodes indicus Matsuura, 1982
  • Triacanthodes intermedius Matsuura & Fourmanoir, 1984
• Tydemania Weber, 1913
  • Tydemania navigatoris Weber, 1913

Characteristics

Triacanthodinae spikefishes are distinguished from the taxa in the subfamily Hollardiinae by the possession of a low, thin crest on the front of the supraoccipital and in having a flat, horizontal basin-like projection to the plevic bone.^[2] The largest species in the subfamily is Halimochirurgus alcocki with a maximum published standard length of 21.6 cm (8.5 in) while the smallest is Atrophacanthus japonicus which has a maximum published standard length of 4.4 cm (1.7 in).^[5]

Distribution and habitat

Triacanthodinae spikefishes are mainly found in the Indo-Pacific region, with one species Johnsonina eriomma in the Western Atlantic Ocean.^[5] These benthic fishes are found in deeper water.^[3]