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.
Taxonomy Triacanthodinae is the nominate subfamily of the family Triacanthodidae, a taxon name first proposed by the American biologist Theodore Gill in 1862. 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. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the family Triacanthodidae in the suborder Triacanthoidei along with the family Triacanthidae, the triplefins.
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.
Genera and species Triacanthodinae contains the following genera and species: 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. The largest species in the subfamily is Halimochirurgus alcocki with a maximum published standard length of while the smallest is Atrophacanthus japonicus which has a maximum published standard length of .
Distribution and habitat Triacanthodinae spikefishes are mainly found in the Indo-Pacific region, with one species Johnsonina eriomma in the Western Atlantic Ocean. These benthic fishes are found in deeper water.
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