''Paraplesiops'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

containing five largely

allopatric Allopatric speciation () – also referred to as geographic speciation, vicariant speciation, or its earlier name the dumbbell model – is a mode of speciation that occurs when biological populations become geographically isolated from ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

es in the longfin, or roundhead, family

Plesiopidae The longfins, also known as roundheads or spiny basslets, are a family, Plesiopidae, which were formerly placed in the order Perciformes but are now regarded as being ''incertae sedis'' in the subseries Ovalentaria in the clade Percomorpha. They a ...

, commonly known as blue devils, bluedevils, or blue devilfish because of their colouration. The genus is most similar to the tropical genera '' Plesiops'' and '' Fraudella''. It is restricted to subtropical and temperate rocky and coral reefs in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n waters. Its species are mostly cryptic, occurring in submarine caves, crevices and under rocky ledges.

Species

* '' Paraplesiops alisonae'' Hoese and Kuiter, 1984 – Alison's blue devil * '' Paraplesiops bleekeri'' ( Günther, 1861) –

eastern blue devil ''Paraplesiops bleekeri'', commonly known as the eastern blue devil, blue-tipped long-fin or Bleeker's blue devil fish, is a species of fish in the family Plesiopidae. This colourful, secretive fish is endemic to Australia, where it is a protect ...

* ''

Paraplesiops meleagris The southern blue devil (''Paraplesiops meleagris'') is a species of fish in the longfin family Plesiopidae endemic to southern Australia. It is a close relative of the eastern blue devil (''Paraplesiops bleekeri''), which lives in the coastal ...

'' (

Peters Peters may refer to: People * Peters (surname) * Peters Band, a First Nations band in British Columbia, Canada Places United States * Peters, California, a census-designated place * Peters, Florida, a town * Peters Township, Kingman County, Kan ...

, 1869) – southern blue devil * '' Paraplesiops poweri'' Ogilby, 1908 – northern blue devil * '' Paraplesiops sinclairi'' Hutchins, 1987 –

western blue devil The western blue devil (''Paraplesiops sinclairi'') is a species of fish in the longfin family Plesiopidae endemic to Western Australia. The fish is found in rocky reef habitats in the coastal, inshore waters of southwestern Western Australia, fr ...

References

Plesiopinae Marine fish genera Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker {{ray-finned fish-stub