Cirrhitidae

John E. Randall, 2001, Revision of the generic classification of the hawkfishes (Cirrhitidae), with descriptions of three new genera., Zootaxa 12, pp. 1-12 : 4-6

[[ Family Cirrhitidae ]]

Key to the genera of Cirrhitidae

1a. Snout not elongate, its length about 2.8-4.1 in head length; body not slender, the depth 2.0-3.4 in SL; canine teeth in jaws markedly longer than inner villiform teeth, those at front of upper jaw and side of lower jaw enlarged ................... 2

1b. Snout elongate, its length 1.85-2.0 in head length; body slender, the depth 4.4-4.6 in SL; canine teeth in jaws only slightly longer than inner villiform teeth and nearly uniform in size ............................................ Oxycirrhites

2a. Caudal fin rounded, truncate, or slightly emarginate; dorsal soft rays 11-15; snout not short, its length 2.7-3.8 in SL ....................................... 3

2b. Caudal fin lunate; dorsal soft rays 16 or 17; snout short, its length 3.6-4.1 in head length.. .............................................. Cyprinocirrhites

3a. Small scales on cheek in more than 12 rows .............................. 4

3a. Rows of large scales on cheek 4-6 (small scales also usually present) ........... 8

4a. Lower 7 pectoral rays unbranched and thickened; first 2 supraneural bones in space before second neural spine; more than 40 cirri in 2 series on posterior flap of anterior nostril.. .......................................................... 5

4b. Lower 6 pectoral rays unbranched and thickened; first 3 supraneural bones in space before second neuralspine; fewer than 15 cirri on posterior flap of anterior nostril.......6

5a. Supraorbital ridge high, continuing more than half eye diameter posterior to orbit; lower opercular spine acute, forming an angle of 45° or less; no scales in interorbital space; pectoral fins reaching slightly beyond a vertical at tips of pelvic fins; body depth 3.1-3.35 in SL ............................. Cristacirrhitus , new genus

5b. Supraorbital ridge low and not continuing posterior to eye; lower opercular spine forming an angle of 90°; a V-shaped band of scales in posterior half of interorbital space; pectoral fins short, not reaching a vertical at tips of pelvic fins; body depth 2.6-3.1 in SL ................................................. Cirrhitus

6a. Dorsal soft rays 13; three-fourths or more of preopercular margin coarsely serrate; palatine teeth absent; body very deep, the depth2.0-2.4 in SL, and very compressed, the width 2.9-3.1 in depth; longest pectoral rays not extending beyond a vertical at pelvic-fintips ............................................. Neocirrhites

6b. Dorsal soft rays 11-12; about upper half of preopercular margin finely or coarsely serrate; palatine teeth present; body not very deep, the depth 2.6-3.3 in SL, and not very compressed, the width 1.9-2.3 in depth; longest pectoral rays extending beyond a vertical at pelvic-fintips ............................................. 7

7a. Upper margin of preopercle finely serrate (25 or more serrae); exposed end of posttemporal finely serrate; first (most medial) branchiostegal ray strongly curved and nearly parallel with second ray; gill membrane across throat naked; scales on cheek separated from serrate edge of preopercle by a broad naked zone crossed by irregular sensory channels (may show as ridges); no scales on snout; scales ventrally on chest extremely small; 3 rows of large scales above lateral line in middle of body; dorsal soft rays 12 ................................ Notocirrhitus , new genus

7b. Upper margin of preopercle coarsely serrate (fewer than 13 serrae); exposed end of posttemporal with 3-5 serrae; first (most medial) branchiostegal ray nearly straight and not parallel to second ray; gill membrane across throat scaled; scales on cheek extending to base of preopercular serrae; scales on snout extending to below anterior nostrils; scales ventrally on chest one-half or more size of scales on side of body; 4 rows of large scales above lateral line in middle of body; dorsal soft rays 12-14 (rarely 12 or14) ................................... Itycirrhitus , new genus

8a. Rows of large scales above lateral line to base of spinous portion of dorsal fin 5; a single cirrus from membrane near tip of each spine of dorsal fin; membranes between longest dorsal spines incised at most one-fifth spine length; palatine teeth absent.. ................................................ Paracirrhites

8b. Rows of large scales above lateral line to base of spinous portion of dorsal fin 3 or 4; a tuft of cirri from membrane near tip of each spine of dorsal fin; membranes between longest dorsal spines incised one-third or more of spine length; palatine teeth present or absent ................................................ 9

9a. Palatine teeth absent; maxilla reaching to or beyond a vertical through middle of eye; dorsal spines short, the longest 2.9-3.2 in head length; dorsal profile of head convex; lower 5 pectoral rays unbranched; interorbital fully scaled; snout not pointed; preorbital without a free posterior margin ................. Isocirrhitus

9b. Palatine teeth present; maxilla not reaching a vertical through middle of eye; dorsal spines 1.7-3.0 in head length; dorsal profile of head straight to slightly convex; lower 5 to 7 pectoral rays unbranched; interorbital scaled or naked; snout pointed or not pointed; preorbital with or without a free posterior margin ............... 10

10a. Dorsal soft rays 14-15 (rarely 15); first 2 pectoral rays unbranched; snout not pointed, the dorsal profile from interorbital to upper lip convex; interorbital naked. ........................................................... Cirrhitops

10b. Dorsal rays 11-13 (rarely 13); first pectoral ray unbranched, second branched; snout pointed, the dorsal profile straight; interorbital scaled or naked .......... 11

11a. Preopercular margin finely serrate; first 2 supraneural bones in space before secondneural spine; preorbital without a free hind margin; interorbital scaled; first dorsal soft ray not produced into a filament; lower 5 (rarely 6) pectoral rays unbranched ... ... ..................................................... Amblycirrhitus

11b. Preopercular margin coarsely serrate; all 3 supraneural bones in space before second neural spine; preorbital with a free hind margin for one-fourth to one-half distance from lower edge to eye; interorbital not scaled; first dorsal soft ray usually produced into a filament; lower 6 or 7 pectoral rays unbranched ............. Cirrhitichthys