Microcanthinae


The Microcanthinae, commonly known as footballers, mados, stripeys, and moonlighters, are a subfamily of the sea chubs, a family of marine ray-finned fish in the order Perciformes.

Characteristics

The Microcathinae is s subfamily of moderately sized fishes most of which grow no longer than that had a oval body. They have small terminal mouth which does not extend as far as the front of the eye. They have small teeth which are set close together and have pointed tips and are set out either in a broad band or a single row. There is one dorsal fin which has 11 or 12 spines and 16-18 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 16-19 soft rays.The pelvic fins start kust behind the end of the base of the pectoral fin. Their caudal fins vary from emarginate through to forked. They have smalled, ctenoid scales which reach onto the cheeks and upper part of gill covers, and form scaly sheaths at the bases of the dorsal and anal fins, with scales extending on to the soft-rayed parts of those fins. They have a continuous lateral line which is evenly curved. They are normally yellowish or whitish in colour marked with dark brown or blackish almost horizontal or oblique stripes.

Habitat, biology and range

The species of the Microcanthinae are found off shallow coastal areas and in rocky estuarine, mainly over hard substrates. They occur from the intertidal zone down as deep to where they have a diet comprising small invertebrates and algae. They prefer subtropical and warm temperate seas. They occur in the southeasst Indian Ocean and the southwestern Pacific Ocean off Australia and New Zealand.

Fisheries

Microcanthines are of little interest to fisheries although they are of interest to the aquarium trade.

Taxonomy

Microacanthinae is treated as a subfamily in the 5th edition of Fishes of the World but other authorities treat it as a family, the Microacanthidae.

Classification

The following genera are classified in the subfamily Microcanthinae: