#cheilodactylidae

[snototter]

A red morwong (Morwong fuscus) in Swansea, NSW, Australia

by mattdowse

[drhoz]

#1748 - Dactylophora nigricans - Dusky Morwong

AKA Black Butterfish, Butter Perch, Butterfish, Nunckla, Nunda, Strongfish, and Tillywurti.

Found around rocky reefs on Australia’s southern and western coasts, where it feeds on small crustaceans and brown macroalgae. They grow up to 120cm long, but only the younger ones are edible. 

Taxonomically, they’re a bit problematic - they used to be included in the  Cheilodactylidae, with other Morwongs, but a 2004 study of their genetics put them into the Latridae - the Trumpeters - instead. In fact, it now appears that all but two of the species in Cheilodactylus should be in the Latridae too.

[drhoz]

Red Moki footage from our dive on Christmas Day.  They're pretty chill fish, and will let divers get very close.  I didn't use zoom in any of these shots.

[drhoz]

#1963 - Cheilodactylus spectabilis - Red Moki

Photo by @purrdence​ 

AKA banded morwong, brown-banded morwong, carp or nanua. It might not be a Cheilodactylus, however - recent genetic and morphological evidence puts it in the genus Chirodactylus, in a different family. 

First described in 1872 by Frederick Wollaston Hutton, from the Cook Straits in New Zealand. ‘spectabilis means "notable" or "showy", a reference to the markings.

Found along the coasts of southern Australia, and northern New Zealand, where it lives in caves and crevices, and emerges to feed in the kelp forests. They feed on gastropods, bivalves, crustaceans, polychaetes and other benthic invertebrates such as small sea urchins. The latter may play a role in preventing the creation of urchin barrens. A long lived and slow growing species, living up to 90 years old, growing up to a meter in size.

[drhoz]

#1079 - Cheilodactylus gibbosus - Western Crested Morwong

photo and ID by @gemfyre

Another Perciforme, this time in the family Cheilodactylidae. The genus names translates as ‘lip-finger’. This is a juvenile - the crest markings and upraised spine are less pronounced in adults.

Found in the Eastern Indian Ocean and Southeast Pacific, Kermadec Island and Easter Island, apparently, which strikes me as a pretty odd distribution for a shallow-water, sheltered coastline fish.

Woodman Point, Perth