Pentacerotidae, commonly known as armourheads are a small family of ray-finned fishes in the order Acropomatiformes. They are native to the Indian Ocean, western and central Pacific, and southwestern Atlantic. They are generally found at rocky reefs below normal scuba diving depths, although several species occur in low densities at shallower depths.
Their name, from Greek pente meaning "five" and keras meaning "horn", refers to the prominent, sharp spines in their dorsal fins (though these do not number five in all species). The largest species in the family (Paristiopterus) may reach a length of . Many species have distinct dark-and-light-striped bodies, while others are overall dusky-silvery.
Timeline
Genera The following genera are classified within the family into two subfamilies:
Subfamily Histiopterinae Bleeker, 1876 Evistias Jordan, 1907 Histiopterus Temminck & Schlegel, 1844 Parazanclistius Hardy, 1983 Paristiopterus Bleeker, 1876 Pentaceropsis Steindachner, 1883 Zanclistius Jordan, 1907 Subfamily Pentacerotinae Bleeker, 1859 Pentaceros Cuvier, 1829 The fossil genus †Portentosoceros Nazarkin & Bannikov, 2021 from the Middle Miocene of Sakhalin, Russia, which closely resembles Pentaceros and was previously placed in it, lacks some of the characteristic features of this family and its taxonomic placement is uncertain outside of it belonging to the percomorphs. However, it is likely a close relative of the armorheads.
References
External links Smith, J.L.B. 1964. Fishes of the family Pentacerotidae. Ichthyological Bulletin; No. 29. Department of Ichthyology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.