Acanthoplesiops

[[Genus Acanthoplesiops]]

Acanthoplesiops is considered to have four valid species, all very small with no specimens larger than 27 mm SL. The genus is unique among acanthoclinines (and plesiopids) in having the following characters: 1-2 secondary opercular spines (Smith-Vaniz & Johnson 1990: 249, mistakenly reported that Fraudella “has a series of prominent spines on the posterior margin of the opercle”; the serrations are actually on the preopercle); pectoral radial formula 3-0-1; supracleithral lateral-line canal absent; anterior/posterior ceratohyal suturing both medial and lateral; scales in mid-lateral series bilobed. Smith-Vaniz and Johnson (1990) noted a distributional puzzle presented by Acanthoplesiops in that there is no Australian representative. Mooi and Gill (in press) addressed this by providing evidence that Notograptus, an Australian endemic and previously a separate family, is sister to Acanthoplesiops.