| Family Scytalinidae - Graveldivers | ||||
| Order | : | Perciformes/Zoarcoidei |
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| Class | : | Teleostei | ||
| No. in FishBase | : | Genera : 1 | Species : 1 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes | ||
| Environment | : | Fresh : No | Brackish : No | Marine : Yes | ||
| Division | : | Marine | ||
| Aquarium | : | none | ||
| First Fossil Record | : | |||
| Remark | : | Distribution: Subarctic and cold-temperate North Pacific. Small, elongate and compressed. Extremely agile and when disturbed rapidly escape by burrowing into the substrate. Their adeptness at going to ground earned them the specific name cerdale, meaning the wary one or the fox. Seldom observed or collected even though they occur in some locations in dense concentrations, and probably are most often seen by clam diggers.The generic name Scytalina is a diminutive of Scytale, from the Greek for viper, in allusion to the serpentlike appearance of the head: broad, with expanded cheeks and a distinct neck, and two strong canines in the upper and lower jaws. Eyes small situated high on the head. Dorsal and anal fins supported by thin, flexible spines (no soft rays). Dorsal and anal fins both with 41-51 spines, deeply buried in skin, the fins beginning opposite each other about halfway back on the body confluent with the caudal fin, which is rounded. Pectoral fins tiny and fleshy, with about 8 rays. Pelvic fins and girdle absent. One pair of nostrils (posterior absent). Cephalic mechanosensory canals opening through pores in deep, broad depressions with fleshy raised rims. Trunk lateral line canal, scales, pyloric caeca and swim bladder absent. Teeth conical, present on jaws, vomer, and palatines. Gill membranes broadly united, free from the isthmus. Branchiostegal rays 6 or 7. Gill rakers practically obsolete. Pleural ribs absent. Vertebrae 69-71. Pinkish brown with purplish mottling, caudal fin margin reddish orange. Attains 15 cm maximum total length. Intertidal and shallow subtidal in spaces under rocks and in gravel, broken shells and sand substrates. | ||
| Etymology | : | Greek, skytale = branch, stick ( Ref. 45335). | ||
| Reproductive guild | : | |||
| Typical activity level | : | |||
Main Ref. |
: | Mecklenburg, C.W. 2003 | ||
| Coordinator | : | |||
Deep Fin Classification
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: | Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Euteleosteomorpha | Neoteleostei | Eurypterygia | Ctenosquamata | Acanthomorphata | Acanthopterygii | Percomorphaceae | Eupercaria | | | Perciformes | Cottoidei | Zoarcales | Scytalinidae | ||
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.
| Scientifc name | Status | Senior/Junior synonym | Combination |
|---|---|---|---|
Scytalina cerdale Jordan & Gilbert, 1880 | accepted | senior | original |
