Fish Identification: Find Species


Family: Aploactinidae Velvetfishes



(See list of species below)



Select Class:     Select Order:   
Select Family: Subfamily:     Select Genus:

Select Ocean (marine/brackish) or Continent (freshwater):
Select a country:
Only include species occuring above: m

Total number of spines in dorsal and anal fins (optional).      Enter total length (TL) and maximum body depth (BD)

Show family drawing(s)



50 species
(see list below)
Export file

1 of 1 Jump to:

Photo by Erdmann, M.V.

Indo-West Pacific.
Max. Length 3.1 cm TL
Acanthosphex leurynnis (Jordan & Seale, 1905)

Photo by Photo by Erdmann, M.V.
 
Acanthosphex leurynnis
[Wasp-spine velvetfish]
No picture found


 
Adventor elongatus
[Visitor]

Photo by Shao, K.T.

Western Pacific
Max. Length 10 cm TL
Aploactis aspera (Richardson, 1845)

Photo by Photo by Shao, K.T.
 
Aploactis aspera
[Dusky velvetfish]

Photo by Schulz, S.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 23 cm TL
Aploactisoma milesii (Richardson, 1850)

Photo by Photo by Schulz, S.
 
Aploactisoma milesii
[Southern velvetfish]
No picture found


 
Bathyaploactis curtisensis
[Port Curtis mossback]
No picture found


 
Bathyaploactis ornatissima
[Ornate velvetfish]
No picture found

Max. Length 3.2 cm SL

 
Cocotropus altipinnis
[Highfin velvetfish]
No picture found

Max. Length 4.2 cm SL

 
Cocotropus astakhovi
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 1.7 cm SL

 
Cocotropus aurantius
[]

Photo by Williams, J.T.

Indo-Pacific
Max. Length 5.1 cm SL
Cocotropus dermacanthus (Bleeker, 1852)

Photo by Photo by Williams, J.T.
 
Cocotropus dermacanthus
[Spinyskin velvetfish]
No picture found

Max. Length 7.2 cm SL

 
Cocotropus echinatus
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 4.4 cm SL

 
Cocotropus eksae
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 4.7 cm SL

 
Cocotropus izuensis
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 3.4 cm SL

 
Cocotropus keramaensis
[]

Photo by Johnson, S.

Indo-West Pacific
Max. Length 7.1 cm SL
Cocotropus larvatus Poss & Allen, 1987

Photo by Photo by Johnson, S.
 
Cocotropus larvatus
[Ghost velvetfish]
No picture found

Max. Length 5 cm TL

 
Cocotropus masudai
[]

Photo by Johnson, J.W.

Southwest Pacific
Max. Length 3.9 cm SL
Cocotropus microps Johnson, 2004

Photo by Photo by Johnson, J.W.
 
Cocotropus microps
[Patchwork velvetfish]

Photo by SFSA

Western Indian Ocean
Max. Length 13.1 cm TL
Cocotropus monacanthus (Gilchrist, 1906)

Photo by Photo by SFSA
 
Cocotropus monacanthus
[Roughskin scorpionfish]
No picture found

Max. Length 3.5 cm SL

 
Cocotropus possi
[]

Photo by Fricke, R.

Western Pacific
Max. Length 2.1 cm SL
Cocotropus richeri Fricke, 2004

Photo by Photo by Fricke, R.
 
Cocotropus richeri
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 2.9 cm SL

 
Cocotropus roseomaculatus
[]

Photo by Paramasivam, K.

Western Indian Ocean.
Max. Length 6.3 cm TL
Cocotropus roseus Day, 1875

Photo by Photo by Paramasivam, K.
 
Cocotropus roseus
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 5 cm TL

 
Cocotropus steinitzi
[Steinitz' velvetfish]

Photo by CSIRO

East Indo-West Pacific.
Max. Length 6.1 cm TL
Erisphex aniarus (Thomson, 1967)

Photo by Photo by CSIRO
 
Erisphex aniarus
[Dark-finned velvetfish]

Photo by Williams, J.T.

Indo-West Pacific

Erisphex philippinus (Fowler, 1938)

Photo by Photo by Williams, J.T.
 
Erisphex philippinus
[]

Photo by Shao, K.T.

Western Pacific
Max. Length 12 cm TL
Erisphex pottii (Steindachner, 1896)

Photo by Photo by Shao, K.T.
 
Erisphex pottii
[]

Photo by The Fish Database of Taiwan

Northwest Pacific
Max. Length 7.5 cm SL
Erisphex simplex Chen, 1981

Photo by Photo by The Fish Database of Taiwan
 
Erisphex simplex
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 4.6 cm SL

 
Kanekonia florida
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 3.6 cm SL

 
Kanekonia leichhardti
[Leichhardt's velvetfish]
No picture found

Max. Length 2.9 cm SL

 
Kanekonia pelta
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 6.4 cm TL

 
Kanekonia queenslandica
[Deep velvetfish]
No picture found

Max. Length 1.7 cm SL

 
Matsubarichthys inusitatus
[Rare velvetfish]

Photo by Erdmann, M.V.

Western Pacific
Max. Length 5 cm TL
Neoaploactis tridorsalis Eschmeyer & Allen, 1978

Photo by Photo by Erdmann, M.V.
 
Neoaploactis tridorsalis
[Threefin velvetfish]
No picture found


 
Paraploactis hongkongiensis
[]
No picture found


 
Paraploactis intonsa
[Bearded velvetfish]

Photo by Cornish, A.

Northwest Pacific
Max. Length 12 cm TL
Paraploactis kagoshimensis (Ishikawa, 1904)

Photo by Photo by Cornish, A.
 
Paraploactis kagoshimensis
[]

Photo by Townsend, D.

Western Pacific.
Max. Length 5 cm TL
Paraploactis obbesi (Weber, 1913)

Photo by Photo by Townsend, D.
 
Paraploactis obbesi
[Sulu velvetfish]

Photo by Good, P.

Western Pacific

Paraploactis pulvinus Poss & Eschmeyer, 1978

Photo by Photo by Good, P.
 
Paraploactis pulvinus
[Pillow velvetfish]
No picture found


 
Paraploactis taprobanensis
[]
No picture found


 
Paraploactis trachyderma
[Mossback velvetfish]
No picture found


 
Peristrominous dolosus
[Deceitful velvetfish]
No picture found


 
Prosoproctus pataecus
[]

Photo by Morrison, S.

Eastern Indian Ocean
Max. Length 9.7 cm SL
Pseudopataecus carnatobarbatus Johnson, 2012

Photo by Photo by Morrison, S.
 
Pseudopataecus carnatobarbatus
[Goatee velvetfish]

Photo by Johnson, J.W.

Southwestern Pacific
Max. Length 10.8 cm SL
Pseudopataecus taenianotus Johnson, 2004

Photo by Photo by Johnson, J.W.
 
Pseudopataecus taenianotus
[Longfin velvetfish]

Photo by Field, R.

Western Indian Ocean
Max. Length 3.5 cm TL
Ptarmus gallus (Kossmann & Räuber, 1877)

Photo by Photo by Field, R.
 
Ptarmus gallus
[]

Photo by Randall, J.E.

Western Indian Ocean
Max. Length 8.5 cm TL
Ptarmus jubatus (Smith, 1935)

Photo by Photo by Randall, J.E.
 
Ptarmus jubatus
[Crested scorpionfish]
No picture found


 
Sthenopus mollis
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 3.7 cm SL

 
Xenaploactis anopta
[]

Photo by Fricke, R.

Western Central Pacific
Max. Length 4.0 cm SL
Xenaploactis asperrima (Günther, 1860)

Photo by Photo by Fricke, R.
 
Xenaploactis asperrima
[]
No picture found

Max. Length 2.8 cm SL

 
Xenaploactis cautes
[Rough velvetfish]


Sort by: Species Length Year
1 of 1 Jump to:
Export file
n = 50

Scientific Name English Name Distribution Max. Length (cm) Year
Acanthosphex leurynnis Wasp-spine velvetfish Indo-West Pacific. 3.1 TL 1905
Adventor elongatus Visitor Western Central Pacific 1952
Aploactis aspera Dusky velvetfish Western Pacific 10 TL 1845
Aploactisoma milesii Southern velvetfish Indo-Pacific 23 TL 1850
Bathyaploactis curtisensis Port Curtis mossback Indo-Pacific 1933
Bathyaploactis ornatissima Ornate velvetfish Western Pacific 1933
Cocotropus altipinnis Highfin velvetfish Southwest Pacific 3.2 SL 1903
Cocotropus astakhovi Western Pacific 4.2 SL 2010
Cocotropus aurantius Northwest Pacific 1.7 SL 2021
Cocotropus dermacanthus Spinyskin velvetfish Indo-Pacific 5.1 SL 1852
Cocotropus echinatus Eastern Indian Ocean 7.2 SL 1849
Cocotropus eksae Western Pacific 4.4 SL 2010
Cocotropus izuensis Northwest Pacific 4.7 SL 2010
Cocotropus keramaensis Northwest Pacific 3.4 SL 2003
Cocotropus larvatus Ghost velvetfish Indo-West Pacific 7.1 SL 1987
Cocotropus masudai Northwest Pacific 5 TL 1943
Cocotropus microps Patchwork velvetfish Southwest Pacific 3.9 SL 2004
Cocotropus monacanthus Roughskin scorpionfish Western Indian Ocean 13.1 TL 1906
Cocotropus possi Northwest Pacific 3.5 SL 2008
Cocotropus richeri Western Pacific 2.1 SL 2004
Cocotropus roseomaculatus Western Indian Ocean 2.9 SL 2004
Cocotropus roseus Western Indian Ocean. 6.3 TL 1875
Cocotropus steinitzi Steinitz' velvetfish Indo-West Pacific 5 TL 1978
Erisphex aniarus Dark-finned velvetfish East Indo-West Pacific. 6.1 TL 1967
Erisphex philippinus Indo-West Pacific 1938
Erisphex pottii Western Pacific 12 TL 1896
Erisphex simplex Northwest Pacific 7.5 SL 1981
Kanekonia florida Western Pacific 4.6 SL 1915
Kanekonia leichhardti Leichhardt's velvetfish Western Pacific 3.6 SL 2013
Kanekonia pelta Western Pacific 2.9 SL 1982
Kanekonia queenslandica Deep velvetfish Eastern Indian Ocean 6.4 TL 1952
Matsubarichthys inusitatus Rare velvetfish Western Pacific 1.7 SL 1991
Neoaploactis tridorsalis Threefin velvetfish Western Pacific 5 TL 1978
Paraploactis hongkongiensis Northwest Pacific 1966
Paraploactis intonsa Bearded velvetfish Eastern Indian Ocean 1978
Paraploactis kagoshimensis Northwest Pacific 12 TL 1904
Paraploactis obbesi Sulu velvetfish Western Pacific. 5 TL 1913
Paraploactis pulvinus Pillow velvetfish Western Pacific 1978
Paraploactis taprobanensis Western Indian Ocean. Sr 1933
Paraploactis trachyderma Mossback velvetfish Indo-Pacific 1865
Peristrominous dolosus Deceitful velvetfish Indo-Pacific 1952
Prosoproctus pataecus Western Pacific 1979
Pseudopataecus carnatobarbatus Goatee velvetfish Eastern Indian Ocean 9.7 SL 2012
Pseudopataecus taenianotus Longfin velvetfish Southwestern Pacific 10.8 SL 2004
Ptarmus gallus Western Indian Ocean 3.5 TL 1877
Ptarmus jubatus Crested scorpionfish Western Indian Ocean 8.5 TL 1935
Sthenopus mollis Western Pacific. 1848
Xenaploactis anopta Western Central Pacific 3.7 SL 1980
Xenaploactis asperrima Western Central Pacific 4.0 SL 1860
Xenaploactis cautes Rough velvetfish Indo-western Pacific 2.8 SL 1980



Other identification tools in FishBase


Quick Identification
Identification keys
Identification by morphometrics
Identification by pictures:
          If you already know the Family, go to Search FishBase, select Family and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the family.

          If you already know the Country, go to
Search FishBase, select Country and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the country.

          If you already know the Ecosystem, go to
Search FishBase, select Ecosystem and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the ecosystem.
cfm script by eagbayani, 30.11.04, ,  php script by cmilitante, 05/11/2010 ,  last modified by cmilitante, 14/03/2013