Agonidae is a family of small, bottom-dwelling, cold-water marine fish. Common names for members of this family include poachers, Irish lords, sea ravens, alligatorfishes, starsnouts, hooknoses, and rockheads. They are notable for having elongated bodies covered by scales modified into bony plates, and for using their large pectoral fins to move in short bursts. The family includes about 59 species in some 25 genera, some of which are quite widespread. The pelvic fins are nearly vestigial, typically consisting of one small spine and a few rays. The swim bladder is not present. At in length, the dragon poacher (Percis japonica) is the largest member of the family, while Bothragonus occidentalis is long as an adult; most are in the 20–30 cm range. Agonidae species generally feed on small crustaceans and marine worms found on the bottom. Some species camouflage themselves with hydras, sponges, or seaweed. They live at deep, with only a few species preferring shallower, coastal waters. All but one species are restricted to the Northern Hemisphere. Taxonomy The family Agonidae was first proposed as a family in 1839 by the English naturalist William John Swainson. The Agonidae is classified within the superfamily Cottoidea in the suborder Cottoidei in the order Scorpaeniformes in the 5th edition of Fishes of the World but other authorities states that if Scorpaeniformes is excluded from Perciformes then Perciformes is recovered as paraphyletic and so classify this family within the infraorder Cottales within the suborder Cottoidei of the Perciformes. A number of taxa which were previously classified within the Cottidae were reclassified within the Agonidae which meant that the Cottidae was confined to the freshwater sculpins. Subfamilies and genera The Agonidae is divided into the following subfamilies and genera: Hemilepidontinae Jordan & Evermann, 1898 Hemilepidotus Cuvier, 1829 Hemitripterinae Gill, 1856 Blepsias Cuvier, 1829 Hemitripterus Cuvier, 1829 Nautichthys Girard, 1858 Bothragoninae Lindberg, 1971 Bothragonus Gill, 1883 Hypsagoninae Gill, 1861 Agonomalus Guichenot, 1866 Hypsagonus Gill, 1861 Percis Scopoli, 1777 Anoplagoninae Gill, 1861 Anoplagonus Gill, 1861 Aspidophoroides Lacépède, 1801 Brachyopsinae Jordan & Evermann, 1898 Brachyopsis Gill, 1861 Chesnonia Iredale & Whitley, 1969 Occella Jordan & Hubbs, 1925 Pallasina Cramer, 1895 Stellerina Cramer, 1896 Tilesina Schmidt, 1904 Agoninae Swainson, 1839 Agonopsis Gill, 1861 Agonus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 Freemanichthys Kanayama, 1991 Leptagonus Gill, 1861 Podothecus Gill, 1861 Sarritor Cramer, 1896 Bathyagoninae Lindberg, 1971 Bathyagonus Gilbert, 1890 Odontopyxis Lockington, 1880 Xeneretmus Gilbert, 1903 References Cottoidea Ray-finned fish families Taxa