Morwong (genus)
Morwong is a subgenus of marine ray-finned fish traditionally classified within the genus "Cheilodactylus" and as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae found in oceans off Australia and New Zealand. They were formerly included in the genus "Cheilodactylus" in family Cheilodactylidae, but based on genetic and morphological analyses they have strongly suggested that the genus "Morwong" is a valid genus and should be placed in the family Latridae. Taxonomy. "Morwong" was first used as a name for a genus in 1957 when the Australian ichthyologist Gilbert Percy Whitley designated "Cheilodactylus fuscus" as its type species by monotypy. It  was, however, traditionally regarded as synonymous with "Cheilodactylus". The genus name is the name in Australian English, the origins of which are unknown, for a number of similar fish species, mostly in the families Cheilodactylidae and Latridae. Although the red morwong has usually been assigned to "Cheilodactylus", DNA studies published in the early 2000s recovered "Cheilodactylus fuscus" as closer to "Nemadactylus" than to the "Cheilodactylus" type species. In the meantime, John E. Randall has recommended using the generic name "Morwong" for "C. fuscus". In this case, "Cheilodactylus ephippum" would also become a referred species of "Morwong", as "M. ephippum", because  Burridge and White (2000) and Burridge and Smolenski (2004) recovered it as sister to the red morwong. Genetic and morphological analyses have also strongly suggested that only two southern African species in "Cheilodactylus", "C. fasciatus" and "C. pixi", make up a monophyletic clade and that all the other “morwongs” were closer to the Latridae. Species. There are two recognized species in this clade: Characteristics. "Morwong" is distinguished from related taxa by having 16-18 spines and 30-35 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8-9 soft rays. They have 13-14  pectoral fin rays with the lowest 5-6 being simple and robust. They are generally brown or red in colour. They have maximum lengths of for "M. epphipium" and for "M. fuscus". Compared to "Goniistius" "Morwong" has a shallower head and a shorter 4th dorsal fin spine while compared to "Chirodactylus" they have a greater number of scales along the lateral line, 59–66 as opposed to 46–56, and a higher number of soft rays in the dorsal fin, 30–35 as opposed to 22–31. Distribution, habitat and biology. "Morwong" fishes are found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean in southeastern Australia, the  Tasman Sea and northern New Zealand. These fishes inhabit rocky substrates where they feed on benthic invertebrates.