Siphonognathus

Siphonognathus is a genus of ray-finned fishes, weed whitings in the family Odacidae which are endemic to Southern Australian coastal waters.^[1] These fish are characterized by their extremely elongate bodies and live primarily in seagrass beds.

Siphonognathus
Siphonognathus argyrophanes
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Labriformes
Family:	Odacidae
Genus:	Siphonognathus J. Richardson, 1858
Type species
Siphonognathus argyrophanes J. Richardson, 1858
Synonyms
Sheardichthys Whitley, 1947 Parodax J. K. Scott, 1976

Species

There are currently six recognized species in this genus:^[1]

• Siphonognathus argyrophanes J. Richardson, 1858 (Tubemouth)
• Siphonognathus attenuatus (J. D. Ogilby, 1897) (Slender weed whiting)
• Siphonognathus beddomei (R. M. Johnston, 1885) (Pencil weed whiting)
• Siphonognathus caninis (J. K. Scott, 1976) (Sharpnose weed whiting)
• Siphonognathus radiatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) (Long-rayed weed whiting)
• Siphonognathus tanyourus M. F. Gomon & Paxton, 1986 (Longtail weed whiting)

Although Fishbase places all six of these species in the genus Siphonognathus,^[1] the Catalog of Fishes places S. attentuatus, S. beddomei, S. radiatus and S. tanyourus in the separate genus Sheardichthys and places S. caninis on the monospecific genus Parodax, leaving Siphonognathus as a monospecific genus containing only the tubemouth (S. argyrophanes).^[2]