Morwong (genus)

Systematics

Although the red morwong is usually assigned to Cheilodactylus, DNA studies published in the early 2000s recover Cheilodactylus fuscus as closer to Nemadactylus than to the Cheilodactylus type species. In the meantime, John E. Randall has recommended using the generic name Morwong for C. fuscus. In this case, Cheilodactylus ephippum would also become a referred species of Morwong, as M. ephippum, because Burridge and White (2000) and Burridge and Smolenski (2004) recover it as sister to the red morwong.