Snake mackerel

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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.

Species

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.

Black gemfish, Nesiarchus nasutus

• Genus Paradiplospinus
• * Antarctic escolar, Paradiplospinus antarcticus Andriashev, 1960.
• * Slender escolar, Paradiplospinus gracilis (Brauer, 1906).
• Genus Promethichthys
• * Roudi escolar, Promethichthys prometheus (Cuvier, 1832).

Roudi escolar, Promethichthys prometheus

• 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.

References

• ["Gempylidae"]. FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. February 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.

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