Family Opistognathidae - Jawfishes
Order : Ovalentaria/misc Opistognathidae Opistognathidae
Class : Teleostei
No. in FishBase : Genera : 4 | Species : 96 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes
Environment : Fresh : No | Brackish : Yes | Marine : Yes
Division : Marine
Aquarium : some
First Fossil Record :      
Remark : Distribution: all tropical marine regions except the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea (Ref. 128653). Small and mediumsized that dig burrows in the bottom with their huge mouth and spend most of the time in them (Ref. 129448). Trophic ecology: Live in burrows in sand and rubble bottoms near reefs using small stones or coral fragments to maintain structural integrity, and which they enter tail-first. They are strongly territorial, and a single fish occupies each burrow. Feed on benthic and planktonic invertebrates (Ref. 128653). Morphology: Large-mouthed. Cycloid scales with head naked. Pelvic fins more anterior than pectorals; 1 spine, 5 soft rays (inner 3 weak and branched, outer 2 stout and unbranched). Continuous dorsal fin 9-12 spines. High lateral line running along dorsal, terminating at the middle of dorsal fin (a species with both ventral and dorsal lateral lines). Palatine toothless. Species of Stalix with transversly forked anterior spines in dorsal fin. Mostly small fishes with enlarged head and mouth and narrow tapering body (Ref. 7463). Traits: Mouthbrooders. males orally brood the egg clutches, which are occasionally aerated and cleaned. (Ref. 128653). Opistognathus Cuvier, 1816 (WA, EP, IWP); Lonchopisthus Gill, 1862 (WA, EP); Stalix Jordan & Snyder, 1902 (IWP); Anoptoplacus Smith-Vaniz, 2017 (WA).
Etymology : Greek, opisthe = behind + Greek, gnathos = jaw ( Ref. 45335).
Reproductive guild : bearers
Typical activity level :
Main Ref. : Nelson, J.S. 1994
Coordinator :
Deep Fin Classification : Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Euteleosteomorpha | Neoteleostei | Eurypterygia | Ctenosquamata | Acanthomorphata | Acanthopterygii | Percomorphaceae | Ovalentaria | | | incertae | | | Opistognathidae

Show species images | Show valid names | Nominal species list | Identification keys | CAS specimen photos | References

Ref.
[ e.g. 9948 ]
Glossary
[ e.g. oophagy ]


Species/Synonymy list for the family Opistognathidae as currently in FishBase

Important recommendation:

The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.

Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.

But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.

Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.

This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).

The list ordered as follows:

Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.

Show all | Show only accepted name | Show only accepted and original names
Scientifc name Status Senior/Junior synonym Combination
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniororiginal
ambiguousotheroriginal
synonymjuniororiginal
! Opisthognathus ocellatus Ehrenberg, 1836
ambiguousotheroriginal
Opisthognatus ocellatus Ehrenberg, 1836
synonymotheroriginal
! Opisthognathus sonneratii Valenciennes, 1836
synonymjuniororiginal
Opisthognathus cuvierii Valenciennes, 1840
ambiguoushomonymoriginal
! Opisthognathus cuvieri Valenciennes, 1840
ambiguoushomonymoriginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Opistognathus castelnaui (non Bleeker, 1860)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Opistognathus cuvierii Valenciennes, 1836
acceptedseniororiginal
! Opisthognathus cuvierii Valenciennes, 1836
synonymseniororiginal
! Gnathypops cuvieri (Valenciennes, 1836)
synonymseniornew
! Opisthognathus cuvieri Valenciennes, 1836
synonymseniororiginal
! Opistognathus cuvieri Valenciennes, 1836
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniororiginal
! Opistognathus rosenbergi Bleeker, 1856
synonymseniororiginal
Gnathypops rosenbergi annulata Eibl-Eibesfeldt & Klausewitz, 1961
synonymjuniororiginal
Opistognathus annulatus (Eibl-Eibesfeldt & Klausewitz, 1961)
synonymjuniorchange in rank
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
! Opisthognathus scaphiurus Goode & Bean, 1882
synonymjuniororiginal
Opistognathus scaphiurus Goode & Bean, 1882
synonymjuniororiginal
Opisthognathus fasciatum Longley & Hildebrand, 1940
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
! Opisthognathus papuensis Bleeker, 1868
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniororiginal
Gnathypops darwiniensis (Macleay, 1878)
synonymseniornew
Tandya darwiniensis (Macleay, 1878)
synonymseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniororiginal
synonymseniororiginal
Opistognathus lonchurus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
acceptedseniororiginal
! Opisthognathus lonchurus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Opistognathus rhomaleus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
acceptedseniororiginal
! Opisthognathus rhomaleus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
synonymseniororiginal
Opistognathus inornatus Ramsay & Ogilby, 1887
acceptedseniororiginal
! Opisthognathus inornatus Ramsay & Ogilby, 1887
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
! Opisthognathus muscatensis Boulenger, 1888
synonymseniororiginal
! Ophisthognathus muscatensis Boulenger, 1888
synonymseniororiginal
! Opistignathus muscatensis Boulenger, 1888
synonymseniororiginal
Opistognathus scops (Jenkins & Evermann, 1889)
acceptedseniornew
Gnathypops scops Jenkins & Evermann, 1889
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Opistognathus evermanni (Jordan & Snyder, 1902)
acceptedseniornew
Gnathypops evermanni Jordan & Snyder, 1902
synonymseniororiginal
Opistognathus hopkinsi (Jordan & Snyder, 1902)
acceptedseniornew
Gnathypops hopkinsi Jordan & Snyder, 1902
synonymseniororiginal
Opistognathus aurifrons (Jordan & Thompson, 1905)
acceptedseniornew
Gnathypops aurifrons Jordan & Thompson, 1905
synonymseniororiginal
! Opisthognathus aurifrons (Jordan & Thompson, 1905)
synonymseniornew
Opistognathus dendriticus (Jordan & Richardson, 1908)
acceptedseniornew
Gnathypops dendritica Jordan & Richardson, 1908
synonymseniororiginal
Opistognathus eximius (Ogilby, 1908)
acceptedseniornew
Merogymnus eximius Ogilby, 1908
synonymseniororiginal
Opistognathus iyonis (Jordan & Thompson, 1913)
acceptedseniornew
Gnathypops iyonis Jordan & Thompson, 1913
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
! Opisthognathus whitehursti (Longley, 1927)
synonymseniornew
! Opisthognathus whitehurstii (Longley, 1927)
synonymseniornew
! Opisthognothus whitenhursti (Longley, 1927)
synonymseniornew
! Opistognathus whitehurstii (Longley, 1927)
synonymseniornew
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
Tandya latitabunda Whitley, 1937
synonymseniororiginal
! Opistognathus latitabunda (Whitley, 1937)
synonymseniornew
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
Tandya reticulata McKay, 1969
synonymseniororiginal
synonymseniornew
Opistognathus megalepis Smith-Vaniz, 1972
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus melachasme Smith-Vaniz, 1972
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus margaretae Smith-Vaniz, 1983
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus decorus Smith-Vaniz & Yoshino, 1985
acceptedseniororiginal
Gnathypops sp. Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus sp. 1 Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus liturus Smith-Vaniz & Yoshino, 1985
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. 2 Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus galapagensis Allen & Robertson, 1991
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus mexicanus Allen & Robertson, 1991
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus panamaensis Allen & Robertson, 1991
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus rosenblatti Allen & Robertson, 1991
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus fenmutis Acero P. & Franke, 1993
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus brasiliensis Smith-Vaniz, 1997
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus leprocarus Smith-Vaniz, 1997
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus nothus Smith-Vaniz, 1997
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus melachasme (non Smith-Vaniz, 1972)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Opistognathus robinsi Smith-Vaniz, 1997
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus cuvieri (non Valenciennes, 1836)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
! Opisthognathus macrognathus (non Poey, 1860)
misappliedmisappliedmisapplied
Opistognathus signatus Smith-Vaniz, 1997
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus brochus Bussing & Lavenberg, 2003
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus fossoris Bussing & Lavenberg, 2003
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus smithvanizi Bussing & Lavenberg, 2003
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus walkeri Bussing & Lavenberg, 2003
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus alleni Smith-Vaniz, 2004
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. Not applicable
synonymotherother
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. nov. Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus reticeps Smith-Vaniz, 2004
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus seminudus Smith-Vaniz, 2004
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus stigmosus Smith-Vaniz, 2004
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus verecundus Smith-Vaniz, 2004
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus rufilineatus Smith-Vaniz & Allen, 2007
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus cyanospilotus Smith-Vaniz, 2009
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus solorensis (non Bleeker, 1853)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Opistognathus castelnaui (non Bleeker, 1860)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Opistognathus randalli Smith-Vaniz, 2009
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus variabilis Smith-Vaniz, 2009
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. Not applicable
synonymotherother
synonymotherother
synonymotherother
Opistognathus solorensis (non Bleeker, 1853)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Opistognathus adelus Smith-Vaniz, 2010
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus afer Smith-Vaniz, 2010
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus crassus Smith-Vaniz, 2010
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus dipharus Smith-Vaniz, 2010
acceptedseniororiginal
Opisthognathus muscatensis (non Boulenger, 1888)
misappliedmisappliedoriginal
Opistognathus longinaris Smith-Vaniz, 2010
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus simus Smith-Vaniz, 2010
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus albicaudatus Smith-Vaniz, 2011
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus pardus Smith-Vaniz, Bineesh & Akhilesh, 2012
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus trimaculatus Hiramatsu & Endo, 2013
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus ensiferus Smith-Vaniz, 2016
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus schrieri Smith-Vaniz, 2017
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus thionyi Smith-Vaniz, Tornabene & Macieira, 2018
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus vicinus Smith-Vaniz, Tornabene & Macieira, 2018
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus albomaculatus Smith-Vaniz, 2023
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus asper Smith-Vaniz, 2023
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus aurolineatus Smith-Vaniz, 2023
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus sp. 1 Not applicable
synonymotherother
Opistognathus bathyphilus Smith-Vaniz, 2023
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus biporus Smith-Vaniz, 2023
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus challenger Smith-Vaniz, 2023
acceptedseniororiginal
Opistognathus erdmanni Smith-Vaniz, 2023
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Lonchopisthus lindneri Ginsburg, 1942
synonymjuniororiginal
Lonchopisthus lemur (Myers, 1935)
acceptedseniornew
Lonchistium lemur Myers, 1935
synonymseniororiginal
Lonchopisthus meadi Menezes & Lima de Figueiredo, 1971
synonymjuniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Lonchopisthus sinuscalifornicus Castro-Aguirre & Villavicencio-Garayzar, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Lonchopisthus ancistrus Smith-Vaniz & Walsh, 2017
acceptedseniororiginal
Stalix histrio Jordan & Snyder, 1902
acceptedseniororiginal
Stalix versluysi (Weber, 1913)
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Stalix moenensis (Popta, 1922)
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Stalix omanensis Norman, 1939
acceptedseniororiginal
Stalix immaculata Xu & Zhan, 1980
acceptedseniororiginal
! Stalix immaculatus Xu & Zhan, 1980
synonymseniororiginal
! Stalix immaculaatus Xu & Zhan, 1980
synonymseniororiginal
Stalix davidsheni Klausewitz, 1985
acceptedseniororiginal
Stalix dicra Smith-Vaniz, 1989
acceptedseniororiginal
Stalix eremia Smith-Vaniz, 1989
acceptedseniororiginal
Stalix flavida Smith-Vaniz, 1989
acceptedseniororiginal
Stalix sheni Smith-Vaniz, 1989
acceptedseniororiginal
Stalix toyoshio Shinohara, 1999
acceptedseniororiginal
Stalix novikovi Prokofiev, 2015
acceptedseniororiginal
Anoptoplacus pygmaeus Smith-Vaniz, 2017
acceptedseniororiginal
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