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Macroramphosus

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Macroramphosus
Macroramphosus gracilis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Suborder: Syngnathoidei
Superfamily: Centriscoidea
Family: Centriscidae
Subfamily: Macroramphosinae
Genus: Macroramphosus
Lacepède, 1803
Type species
Silurus cornutus
Forsskål, 1775
Species

See text

Macroramphosus, snipefishes or bellowfishes, is a genus of fishes found in tropical and subtropical oceans at depths down to 600 metres (2,000 ft). They have long second spines on their dorsal fins and tiny mouths at the tip of their greatly elongated snouts. The bodies of snipefish are more streamlined than in the related bellowfishes. They reach a maximum length of about 20 cm (7.9 in), and are silvery or reddish in colour. They are sometimes found in large schools. This is the only genus on the monogeneric family Macroranphosidae[1] but some authorities include the genera Centriscops and Notopogon in this family too.[2]

According to FishBase, they are part of the family Centriscidae, but Nelson (2016) split that family, in which case the genus Macroramphosus is in the family Macroramphosidae.[1] However, Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes has returned to classifying the macroramphosids within the Centriscidae.[3]

Species

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Currently, three recognized species are placed in this genus:[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Nelson, JS; Grande, TC & Wilson, MVH (2016). "Classification of fishes from Fishes of the World 5th Edition" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Bellowfishes, MACRORAMPHOSIDAE". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  3. ^ Fricke, R.; Eschmeyer, W. N.; Van der Laan, R. (2025). "ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  4. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Macroramphosus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 July 2025.