Kingdom Animalia Higher classification Percoidei Rank Family | Scientific name Cheilodactylidae Phylum Chordata Order Perciformes | |
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Similar Cheilodactylus, Goniistius zonatus, Red morwong, Pentacerotidae, Perciformes | ||
Rock fishing for dusky morwong
Morwongs (also called butterfish, fingerfins, jackassfish, snappers, and moki) are perciform fishes comprising the family Cheilodactylidae. they are found in subtropical oceans in the Southern Hemisphere.
Contents
Morwong is also used as a name for several unrelated fish found in Australian waters, such as the painted sweetlips, Diagramma pictum.
Taxonomy
The traditional delimitation of this family and Latridae is based on morphological differences, but the reliability of these differences has been questioned, and genetics do not support this treatment, either, leading some to suggest the majority should be in Latridae. Based on this, the only species that should remain in the family Cheilodactylidae are the relatively small Cheilodactylus fasciatus and C. pixi from southern Africa. This also means the broader definition of the genus Cheilodactylus is polyphyletic. All other "Cheilodactylus" species clearly do not belong with these two in Cheilodactylus and instead appear to belong in several different genera (only one of which is Goniistius), but how many and their exact delimitation is not clear at present.
Description
The largest species grow up to 1.2 m (3.9 ft), but most species only reach around half that length. Several species of morwongs are commercially harvested as food fish, particularly in Australia. Their maximum weight is 70 kg (150 lb). They live in large schools and inhabit depths from 25 m (82 ft) to 200 m (660 ft).
Diet
They feed on small invertebrates on the ocean floor.
