The Gempylidae are a family of scombriform ray-finned fishes commonly known as snake mackerels or escolars. The family includes about 25 species.
They are elongated 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 (Leionura atun), grow up to long, and the oilfish (Ruvettus pretiosus) can reach , though they rarely surpass . Like the barracudas, they are predators, with fang-like teeth.
Taxonomy
- Subfamily Clade 1 <small>Mthethwa, 2023</small>
- Genus Diplospinus
- Diplospinus multistriatus <small>Maul, 1948</small> (Striped escolar)
- Genus Gempylus
- Gempylus serpens <small>G. Cuvier, 1829</small> (Snake mackerel)
- Genus Nealotus
- Nealotus tripes <small>J. Y. Johnson</small><small>, 1865</small> (Black Snake mackerel)
- Genus Nesiarchus
- Nesiarchus nasutus <small>J. Y. Johnson, 1862</small> (Black gemfish)
- Genus Paradiplospinus
- Paradiplospinus antarcticus <small>Andriashev, 1960</small> (Antarctic escolar)
- Paradiplospinus gracilis <small>(A. B. Brauer, 1906)</small> (Slender escolar)
- Genus Promethichthys
- Promethichthys prometheus <small>(G. Cuvier, 1832)</small> (Roudi escolar)
- Genus Rexea
- Rexea alisae <small>C. D. Roberts & A. L. Stewart, 1997</small>
- Rexea antefurcata <small>Parin, 1989</small> (Long-finned escolar)
- Rexea bengalensis <small>(Alcock, 1894)</small> (Bengal escolar)
- Rexea brevilineata <small>Parin, 1989</small> (Short-lined escolar)
- Rexea nakamurai <small>Parin, 1989</small> (Nakamura's escolar)
- Rexea prometheoides <small>(Bleeker, 1856)</small> (Royal escolar)
- Rexea solandri <small>(G. Cuvier, 1832)</small> (Silver gemfish)
- Genus Rexichthys
- Rexichthys johnpaxtoni <small>Parin & Astakhov, 1987</small> (Paxton's escolar)
- Genus Leionura
- Leionura atun <small>(Euphrasén, 1791)</small> (Snoek)
- Genus Thyrsites
- Thyrsites lepidopodea <small>(Lesson, 1831)</small> (White snake mackerel))
- Genus Thyrsitoides
- Thyrsitoides marleyi <small>Fowler, 1929</small> (Blacksail snake mackerel)
- Thyrsitoides zarahoustrae <small>Arambourg, 1967</small>
- Genus Tongaichthys
- Tongaichthys robustus <small>I. Nakamura & E. Fujii, 1983</small> (Tonga escolar)
- Subfamily Clade 2 <small>Mthethwa, 2023</small>
- Genus Epinnula
- Epinnula magistralis <small>Poey, 1854</small>
- Epinnula pacifica <small>Ho, Motomura, Hata & Jiang, 2017</small>
- Genus Lepidocybium
- Lepidocybium flavobrunneum <small>(A. Smith, 1843)</small> (Escolar)
- Genus Neoepinnula
- Neoepinnula americana <small>(M. G. Grey, 1953)</small> (American sackfish)
- Neoepinnula minetomai <small>Nakayama, Y. Kimura & Endo, 2014</small> (Large-eyed sackfish)
- Neoepinnula orientalis <small>(Gilchrist & von Bonde, 1924)</small> (Sackfish)
- Genus Ruvettus
- Ruvettus pretiosus <small>Cocco, 1833</small> (Oilfish)
The Gempylidae are broadly categorized into two clades; Clade 1, which includes more derived & elongate genera, and Clade 2, which includes more basal & fusiform genera. The Trichiuridae are an outgroup.
Gempylidae are believed to have first evolved at least 20 million years after the Late Cretaceus Extinction event, potentially due to tectonic plate movements.
Fossil genera
The following fossil genera are known:
- â Abadzekhia <small>Bannikov, 1985</small> (Early Oligocene of North Caucasus, Russia and Germany)
- â Contemptor <small>Calzoni, Giusberti & Carnevale, 2026</small> (Eocene of northern Italy)
- â Chelifichthys <small>Carnevale, 2006</small> (Late Miocene (Messinian) of Algeria)
- â Eothyrsites <small>Chapman, 1934</small> (mid-late Eocene of New Zealand)
- â Hemithyrsites <small>Daniltshenko, 1960 (</small>Oligocene of Poland & Romania)
- â Krampusichthys <small>Calzoni, Giusberti & Carnevale, 2025</small> (Early Eocene of Italy)
- â Laurinichthys <small>Calzoni, Giusberti & Carnevale, 2025</small> (Early Eocene of Italy)
- â Progempylus <small>Casier, 1966 (</small>Early Eocene of England)
- â Thyrsitocephalus <small>vom Rath, 1859 (</small>Early Oligocene of Switzerland)
- â Wudelenia <small>Calzoni, Giusberti & Carnevale, 2025</small> (Early Eocene of Italy)
Timeline
See also
References
External links