Veliferidae
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Sailfin moonfishes are a small family, Veliferidae, of lampriform fishes found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. Unlike other lampriforms, they live in shallow, coastal waters, of less than Script error: No such module "convert". depth, rather than in the deep ocean. They are also much smaller than most of their relatives, up to Script error: No such module "convert". in length, and have deep, rather than elongated, bodies. They are characterised by their ability to retract the anterior rays of their dorsal and anal fins into a sheath.[1]
Species
The two extant species in two genera are:
- Genus Metavelifer Walters, 1960
- Metavelifer multiradiatus (Regan, 1907)
- Genus Velifer Temminck and Schlegel, 1850
- Velifer hypselopterus Bleeker, 1879
Fossil record
- †Nardovelifer, from the Campanian of Italy.[2]
- †Oechsleria unterfeldensis, from the lower Oligocene of the Bodenheim Formation, Germany.[2]
- †Veronavelifer, from the Eocene of Italy.
- †Wettonius angeloi, from the Eocene of Italy.[3]Script error: No such module "Multiple image".
References
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