Snake mackerel

Taxobox
name = Snake mackerel

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = Oilfish, "Ruvettus pretiosus"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Gempylidae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Diplospinus" "Epinnula" "Gempylus" "Lepidocybium" "Nealotus" "Neoepinnula" "Nesiarchus" "Paradiplospinus" "Promethichthys" "Rexea" "Rexichthys" "Ruvettus" "Thyrsites" "Thyrsitoides" "Thyrsitops" "Tongaichthys" See text for species.

Snake mackerel are perciform fishes in the family Gempylidae.

They are elongate fishes with a similar appearance to barracudas, having a long dorsal fin, usually with one or finlets trailing it. The largest species, including the snoek, "Thyrsites atun", grow up to two metres long.

They are deep-water benthopelagic fishes, and several species are important commercial and game fishes.

pecies

There are 24 species in sixteen genera:
* Genus "Diplospinus"
** Striped escolar, "Diplospinus multistriatus" Maul, 1948.
* Genus "Epinnula"
** Domine, "Epinnula magistralis" Poey, 1854.
* Genus "Gempylus"
** "Gempylus serpens" Cuvier, 1829.
* Genus "Lepidocybium"
** Escolar, "Lepidocybium flavobrunneum" (Smith, 1843).
* Genus "Nealotus"
** Black snake mackerel, "Nealotus tripes" Johnson, 1865.
* Genus "Neoepinnula"
** American sackfish, "Neoepinnula americana" (Grey, 1953).
** Sackfish, "Neoepinnula orientalis" (Gilchrist & von Bonde, 1924).
* Genus "Nesiarchus"
** Black gemfish, "Nesiarchus nasutus" Johnson, 1862.
* Genus "Paradiplospinus"
** Antarctic escolar, "Paradiplospinus antarcticus" Andriashev, 1960.
** Slender escolar, "Paradiplospinus gracilis" (Brauer, 1906).
* Genus "Promethichthys"
** Roudi escolar, "Promethichthys prometheus" (Cuvier, 1832).
* Genus "Rexea"
** "Rexea alisae" Roberts & Stewart, 1997.
** Long-finned escolar, "Rexea antefurcata" Parin, 1989.
** Bengal escolar, "Rexea bengalensis" (Alcock, 1894).
** Short-lined escolar, "Rexea brevilineata" Parin, 1989.
** Nakamura's escolar, "Rexea nakamurai" Parin, 1989.
** Royal escolar, "Rexea prometheoides" (Bleeker, 1856).
** Silver gemfish or Gemfish, "Rexea solandri" (Cuvier, 1832).
* Genus "Rexichthys"
** Paxton's escolar, "Rexichthys johnpaxtoni" Parin & Astakhov, 1987.
* Genus "Ruvettus"
** Oilfish, "Ruvettus pretiosus" Cocco, 1833.
* Genus "Thyrsites"
** Snoek, "Thyrsites atun" (Euphrasen, 1791).
* Genus "Thyrsitoides"
** Black snoek, "Thyrsitoides marleyi" Fowler, 1929.
* Genus "Thyrsitops"
** White snake mackerel, "Thyrsitops lepidopoides" (Cuvier, 1832).
* Genus "Tongaichthys"
** Tonga escolar, "Tongaichthys robustus" Nakamura & Fujii, 1983.

The longfin escolar, "Scombrolabrax heterolepis", was formerly classified in this family, but it is now placed in its own family Scombrolabracidae.

References

*FishBase family | family = Gempylidae | year = 2006 | month = February