Triacanthodidae
Also known as spikefishes
The spikefishes (family Triacanthodidae) are ray-finned fishes related to the pufferfishes and triggerfishes. They live in deep waters; more than 50 meters (165 feet), but above the continental shelves. They are found in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and the west-central Pacific.
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3 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Subfamiles and genera
- References
The spikefishes (family Triacanthodidae) are ray-finned fishes related to the pufferfishes and triggerfishes. They live in deep waters; more than 50 meters (165 feet), but above the continental shelves. They are found in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and the west-central Pacific.
The spikefishes are quite variable in form, with some species having tubular snouts (greatly elongated in Halimochirurgus and Macrorhamphosodes), and others have spoon-like teeth for scraping the scales off other fishes. Depending on the exact species involved, they reach a maximum length of about .