''Paraulopus'' is the only

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

in the family Paraulopidae, a family of

grinner Aulopiformes is a diverse order of marine ray-finned fish consisting of some 15 extant and several prehistoric families with about 45 genera and over 230 species. The common names grinners, lizardfishes and allies, or aulopiforms are sometimes ...

s in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Aulopiformes Aulopiformes is a diverse order (biology), order of Marine (ocean), marine ray-finned fish consisting of some 15 Extant taxon, extant and several prehistoric family (biology), families with about 45 genera and over 230 species. The common names ...

. They are commonly known as cucumberfishes, but locally some other

Teleostei Teleostei (; Ancient Greek, Greek ''teleios'' "complete" + ''osteon'' "bone"), members of which are known as teleosts (), is, by far, the largest group of ray-finned fishes (class Actinopterygii), with 96% of all neontology, extant species of f ...

are also known by that name. They were considered in the Chlorophthalmidae or

greeneye Greeneyes are deep-sea aulopiform marine fishes in the small family Chlorophthalmidae. Thought to have a circumglobal distribution in tropical and temperate waters, the family contains just 18 species in two genera. The family name Chlorophthal ...

family until 2001. The fishes tend to be slender and cylindrical, with large eyes and a large terminal mouth with only slightly protruding lower jaw. The earliest known fossil evidence of cucumberfishes are

otoliths An otolith (, ' ear + , ', a stone), also called otoconium, statolith, or statoconium, is a calcium carbonate structure in the saccule or utricle of the inner ear, specifically in the vestibular system of vertebrates. The saccule and utricle, i ...

from the

Aptian The Aptian is an age (geology), age in the geologic timescale or a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous, Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or series (stratigraphy), S ...

and

Albian The Albian is both an age (geology), age of the geologic timescale and a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early Cretaceous, Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch/s ...

of Spain, France, and Texas. It remains uncertain whether these otoliths actually belong to ''Paraulopus'' itself or to an extinct fossil paraulopid genus.

Species

The currently recognized species in this genus are: * '' Paraulopus atripes''

Tomoyasu Sato Tomoyasu is a masculine Japanese name, Japanese given name. Written forms Tomoyasu can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Some examples: *友康, "friend, healthy" *友安, "friend, peaceful" *友靖, "friend, pe ...

& Nakabo, 2003 * ''

Paraulopus balteatus ''Paraulopus'' is the only genus in the family Paraulopidae, a family of grinners in the order Aulopiformes. They are commonly known as cucumberfishes, but locally some other Teleostei are also known by that name. They were considered in the Chl ...

'' M. F. Gomon, 2010 (banded cucumberfish) * '' Paraulopus brevirostris'' ( Fourmanoir, 1981) (shortsnout cucumberfish) * '' Paraulopus filamentosus'' ( Okamura, 1982) * '' Paraulopus japonicus'' ( Kamohara, 1956) * '' Paraulopus legandi'' ( Fourmanoir & Rivaton, 1979) * ''

Paraulopus longianalis ''Paraulopus'' is the only genus in the family Paraulopidae, a family of grinners in the order Aulopiformes. They are commonly known as cucumberfishes, but locally some other Teleostei are also known by that name. They were considered in the Chl ...

, M. F. Gomon & Nakabo, 2010 (longfin cucumberfish) * ''

Paraulopus maculatus ''Paraulopus'' is the only genus in the family Paraulopidae, a family of grinners in the order Aulopiformes. They are commonly known as cucumberfishes, but locally some other Teleostei are also known by that name. They were considered in the Chl ...

'' ( Kotthaus, 1967) * ''

Paraulopus melanogrammus ''Paraulopus'' is the only genus in the family Paraulopidae, a family of grinners in the order Aulopiformes. They are commonly known as cucumberfishes, but locally some other Teleostei are also known by that name. They were considered in the Chl ...

'' M. F. Gomon &

, 2004 (blackline cucumberfish) * ''

Paraulopus melanostomus ''Paraulopus'' is the only genus in the family Paraulopidae, a family of grinners in the order Aulopiformes. They are commonly known as cucumberfishes, but locally some other Teleostei are also known by that name. They were considered in the Chl ...

, M. F. Gomon & Nakabo, 2010 (licoricemouth cucumberfish) * ''

Paraulopus nigripinnis ''Paraulopus nigripinnis'', the cucumber fish, ‘’‘Montague whiting’’’ is a grinner of the genus '' Paraulopus''. It is a deep water fish found around southern Australia and New Zealand on the continental shelf A continental shel ...

'' ( Günther, 1878) (cucumber fish) * ''

Paraulopus novaeseelandiae ''Paraulopus'' is the only genus in the family Paraulopidae, a family of grinners in the order Aulopiformes. They are commonly known as cucumberfishes, but locally some other Teleostei are also known by that name. They were considered in the Chl ...

& Nakabo, 2002 * ''

Paraulopus oblongus ''Paraulopus'' is the only genus in the family Paraulopidae, a family of grinners in the order Aulopiformes. They are commonly known as cucumberfishes, but locally some other Teleostei are also known by that name. They were considered in the Chl ...

'' ( Kamohara, 1953) * ''

Paraulopus okamurai ''Paraulopus'' is the only genus in the family Paraulopidae, a family of grinners in the order (biology), order Aulopiformes. They are commonly known as cucumberfishes, but locally some other Teleostei are also known by that name. They were cons ...

& Nakabo, 2002 (piedtip cucumberfish) Fossil taxa include: * ''Paraulopus''? ''applanatus'' Nolf, 2004 (Cenomanian of France) * ''Paraulopus''? ''manei'' Nolf, 2004 (Aptian of Spain) * ''Paraulopus''? ''pseudocentrolophus'' Nolf, 2004 (Aptian of Spain) * ''Paraulopus pseudoperca'' Nolf & Dockery, 1990 (Campanian to Paleocene of the United States and Germany) * ''Paraulopus''? ''wichitae'' Schwarzhans, Stringer & Welton, 2022 (Albian of Texas)

References

* Paraulopidae {{Aulopiformes-stub Extant Aptian first appearances