The red morwong (Cheilodactylus (Morwong) fuscus), also known as the sea carp, is a species of marine ray finned fish traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. It is found off southeast Australia and the North Island of New Zealand from shallow depths to at least 55 m, on rocky reef and coastal areas. Its length is between 30 and 60 cm. Taxonomy The red morwong was first formally described in 1879 by the French naturalist Francis de La Porte Castelnau with the type locality given as Sydney market. The Australian ichthyologist Gilbert Percy Whitley created the genus Morwong this species was its only member and so was the type species of the genus by monotypy. The specific name fuscus means “dusky”, thought to be the colour of specimens preserved in spirit. The true taxonomic relationships of the taxa traditionally classified under the family Cheilodactylidae have been considered uncertain and to have been poorly supported by some authorities over a long period of time. Genetic and morphological analyses now strongly suggest that the traditional classification of Cheilodactylus is incorrect and that the inclusion of the species other than the two southern African species in Cheilodactylus, C. fasciatus and C. pixi, make the genus Cheilodactylus sensu lato paraphyletic and that all the other “morwongs” were closer to the Latridae. In these analyses the Red Morwong and the painted moki (C. (M.) ephippium) were found to be sister species and were placed within the clade Morwong. Description The red morwong has a relatively short and deep and compressed body, its depth being 39-45% of its standard length. It has a moderately sized head and a steeply sloped back. There are two pairs of bony protuberances in the adults, a pair on tip of snout immediately above upper lip and a second pair to the front of eyes. It has quite small eyes and a small mouth which does not extend as far back as the eyes. The lips are thick and fleshy and there is a wide band small, pointed tee at the front of each jaw, tapering to a single row at the sides. The low dorsal fin is continuous with long base, originating above the rear margin of the preoperculum. It contains 17 spines and 30-34 soft rays. There only a slight notch between spiny and soft rayed parts, The