Priacanthidae is a family of fish, common name bigeye, comprising 18 species of marine fishes. "Catalufa" is an alternate common name for some members of the priacanthidae family. The etymology of the scientific name ("prioo-", to bite + "akantha", thorn) refers to the family's very rough, spined scales. The common name of "bigeye" refers to the member species' unusually large eyes, suited to their carnivorous and nocturnal lifestyles. Priacanthidae are most typically coloured bright red, but other coloration patterns do exist for some species. Most species reach a maximum total length of about 30 centimetres (12 inches), although in a few species lengths of over 50 centimetres (20 inches) are known.-------------Members of this family are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, where they tend to live near rock outcroppings or reefs, although a few are known to inhabit open waters. Some species are fished as a food fish. Bigeye (Priancanthus blochii) from the Red Sea The earliest identified Priacanthidae fossils date to the middle Eocene epoch of the lower Tertiary period, or roughly 40 to 50 million years ago.