Apistinae

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title: "Apistinae" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["apistinae", "ray-finned-fish-subfamilies"] description: "Subfamily of ray-finned fishes" topic_path: "general/apistinae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apistinae" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Subfamily of ray-finned fishes ::

| image = HachiM.jpg | image_caption = Ocellated waspfish (Apistus carinatus) | taxon = Apistinae | authority = T. N. Gill, 1859 | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = see text

Apistinae, the wasp scorpionfishes, is a subfamily of venomous, marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and related species. These fishes are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Taxonomy

Apistinae, or Apsitidae, was first formally recognised as a taxonomic grouping in 1859 by the American ichthyologist Theodore Gill. although other authorities treat it as a valid family, the Apistidae.

A recent study placed the wasp scorpionfishes into an expanded stonefish clade (Synanceiidae) because all of these fish have a lachrymal saber that can project a switch-blade-like mechanism out from underneath their eye.

Genera

Apistinae contains the following 3 monotypic genera:

• Apistops Ogilby, 1911
• Apistus Cuvier, 1829
• Cheroscorpaena Mees, 1964

Characteristics

Apistinae species have either 1 or 3 lower pectoral fin rays which are free of the fin membrane and a swimbladder with 2 lobes. to 20 cm TL in the ocellated waspfish.

Distribution and habitat

Apistinae species are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans from the Red Sea and the eastern coast of Africa east in to the western Pacific Ocean, north to Japan and south to Australia. They are demersal species of the continental shelf and may be found over soft substrates or on reefs.

References

References

1. (2014). "Family-group names of Recent fishes". Zootaxa.
2. (2016). "Fishes of the World". Wiley.
3. (10 March 2022). "Order Perciformes (Part 10): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Families Apistidae, Tetrarogidae, Synanceiidae, Aploacrinidae, Perryenidae, Eschmeyeridae, Pataceidae, Gnathanacanthidae, Congiopodidae and Zanclorhynchidae". Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara.
4. (February 2018). "Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Flatheads, Scorpionfishes, Sea Robins, and Stonefishes (Percomorpha: Scorpaeniformes) and the Evolution of the Lachrymal Saber". Copeia.
5. Willingham, AJ. (April 13, 2018). "Stonefish are already scary, and now scientists have found they have switchblades in their heads". CNN.
6. {{FishBase family. (2022)
7. {{Cof family
8. Mees G.F.. (1964). "A new fish of the family Scorpaenidae from New Guinea". Zoologische Mededelingen.

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