Centropomidae
| Snooks | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Common snook, Centropomus undecimalis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Suborder: | Percoidei |
| Family: |
Centropomidae Poey, 1868 |
| Genus: |
Centropomus Lacépède, 1802 |
| Type species | |
|
Centropomus undecimradiatus Lacepède, 1802 |
|
Centropomidae is a family of freshwater and marine fishes in the Perciformes. The sole genus in the family is Centropomus, known commonly as the snooks or robalos. Prior to 2004, three other genera were placed in Centropomidae in subfamily Latinae, which has since been raised to the family level and renamed Latidae because a cladistic analysis showed the old Centropomidae to be paraphyletic, leaving Centropomus as the only remaining genus in this family. These are popular game and food fishes.
Dating from the upper Cretaceous, the centropomids are of typical percoid shape, distinguished by having two-part dorsal fins, a lateral line that extends onto the tail, and, frequently, a concave shape to the head. They range from 35 to 120 cm (14 to 47 in) in length and are found in tropical and subtropical waters.
The currently recognized species in this genus are:
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Wikipedia