Triacanthodinae
Triacanthodinae  is a subfamily of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family  Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. This subfamily comprises nine genera and a total of nineteen species and all, except one species, are found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. The exception is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

Taxonomy
Triacanthodinae is the nominate subfamily of the family Triacanthodidae, a taxon name first proposed by the American biologist Theodore Gill in 1862. In 1968 the American ichthyologist James C. Tyler proposed that the family Triacanthodidae be split into two subfamilies, establishing the subfamily Hollardiinae for the genera Hollardia and Parahollardia. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the family Triacanthodidae in the suborder Triacanthoidei along with the family Triacanthidae, the triplefins.

Etymology
Triacanthodinae is a name based on its type genus Triacanthodes. which appends -odes, meaning "is similar to", onto Triacanthus, a genus these fishes were thought to be clsoley related to.

Genera and species
Triacanthodinae contains the following genera and species:
 Atrophacanthus Fraser-Brunner, 1950
 Atrophacanthus japonicus (Kamohara, 1941)
 Bathyphylax Myers 1934
 Bathyphylax bombifrons Myers, 1934
 Bathyphylax omen Tyler, 1966
 Bathyphylax pruvosti Santini, 2006
 Halimochirurgus Alcock, 1899
 Halimochirurgus alcocki Weber, 1913
 Halimochirurgus centriscoides Alcock, 1899
 Johnsonina Myers, 1934
 Johnsonina eriomma Myers, 1934 
 Macrorhamphosodes Fowler, 1934
 Macrorhamphosodes platycheilus Fowler. 1934
 Macrorhamphosodes uradoi (Kamohara, 1933)
 Mephisto Tyler, 1966
 Mephisto albomaculosus Matsuura, Psomadakis & Tun, 2018
 Mephisto fraserbrunneri Tyler, 1966
 Paratriacanthodes Fowler, 1934
 Paratriacanthodes abei Tyler, 1997
 Paratriacanthodes herrei Myers, 1934
 Paratriacanthodes retrospinis Fowler, 1934 
 Triacanthodes Bleeker, 1857
 Triacanthodes anomalus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1850)
 Triacanthodes ethiops Alcock, 1894
 Triacanthodes indicus Matsuura, 1982
 Triacanthodes intermedius Matsuura & Fourmanoir, 1984 
 Tydemania Weber, 1913
 Tydemania navigatoris Weber, 1913

Characteristics
Triacanthodinae spikefishes are distinguished from the taxa in the subfamily Hollardiinae by the possession of a low, thin crest on the front of the supraoccipital and in having a flat, horizontal basin-like projection to the plevic bone. The largest species in the subfamily is Halimochirurgus alcocki with a maximum published standard length of  while the smallest is Atrophacanthus japonicus which has a maximum published standard length of .

Distribution and habitat
Triacanthodinae spikefishes are mainly found in the Indo-Pacific region, with one species Johnsonina eriomma in the Western Atlantic Ocean. These benthic fishes are found in deeper water.

References

Category:Triacanthodidae
 
Category:Taxa named by Theodore Gill
Category:Fish subfamilies