Cusk-eels
| Cusk-eels | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pudgy cusk-eel (Spectrunculus grandis) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Subclass: | Neopterygii |
| Infraclass: | Teleostei |
| Superorder: | Paracanthopterygii |
| Order: | Ophidiiformes |
| Family: | Ophidiidae Rafinesque, 1810 |
| Subfamilies | |
|
See text | |
The cusk-eel family (Ophidiidae) is a group of marine bony fishes in the order Ophidiiformes. The scientific name is from the Greek ophis meaning "snake", and refers to their eel-like appearance. However, they can be distinguished from true eels of the order Anguilliformes by their ventral fins, which are developed into a forked barbel-like organ below the mouth in the cusk-eels; in the true eels by contrast they are never well-developed and usually missing entirely.[1]
They are found in temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world. They live close to the sea bottom, ranging from shallow water to depths below 2,000 m (6,600 ft). One species, Abyssobrotula galatheae, was recorded at the bottom of the Puerto Rico trench, making it the deepest recorded fish at 8,370 m (27,460 ft).[2][3]
The largest species, Lamprogrammus shcherbachevi, grows up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in length, but most species are shorter than 1 m. Unlike their close relatives, the viviparous brotulas of the Bythitidae, they are egg-laying, and the larvae live amongst the plankton, relatively close to the surface.[2]
A few species are fished commercially, most notably the pink cusk-eel, Genypterus blacodes.
Genera
The cusk-eel family contains about 240 species, grouped into 50 genera:[4]
Subfamily Brotulinae
- Genus Brotula – typical brotulas
Subfamily Brotulotaenilinae
- Genus Brotulotaenia
Subfamily Neobythitinae
- Genus Abyssobrotula
- Genus Acanthonus – bony-eared assfish
- Genus Alcockia
- Genus Apagesoma
- Genus Barathrites
- Genus Barathrodemus
- Genus Bassogigas
- Genus Bassozetus
- Genus Bathyonus
- Genus Benthocometes
- Genus Dannevigia – Australian tusk
- Genus Dicrolene
- Genus Enchelybrotula
- Genus Epetriodus – needletooth cusk
- Genus Eretmichthys
- Genus Glyptophidium
- Genus Holcomycteronus
- Genus Homostolus – filament cusk
- Genus Hoplobrotula
- Genus Hypopleuron – whiptail cusk
- Genus Lamprogrammus
- Genus Leptobrotula
- Genus Leucicorus
- Genus Luciobrotula
- Genus Mastigopterus
- Genus Monomitopus
- Genus Neobythites
- Genus Neobythitoides
- Genus Penopus
- Genus Petrotyx
- Genus Porogadus
- Genus Pycnocraspedum
- Genus Selachophidium – Gunther's cusk-eel
- Genus Sirembo
- Genus Spectrunculus
- Genus Spottobrotula
- Genus Tauredophidium
- Genus Typhlonus
- Genus Ventichthys – East-Pacific ventbrotula
- Genus Xyelacyba
Subfamily Ophidiinae
- Genus Cherublemma – black brotula
- Genus Chilara – spotted cusk-eel
- Genus Genypterus
- Genus Lepophidium
- Genus Menziesichthys
- Genus Ophidion
- Genus Otophidium
- Genus Parophidion
- Genus Raneya – banded cusk-eel
Gallery
References
- ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Ophidiidae" in FishBase. February 2006 version.
- 1 2 Neilsen, Jørgen G. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N., ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 134. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ↑ "What is the deepest-living fish?". Australian Museum. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2008). "Ophidiidae" in FishBase. December 2008 version.
External links
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