Cusk-eel
| Cusk-eels | |
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| Pudgy cusk-eel (Spectrunculus grandis) | |
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| Family: | Ophidiidae Rafinesque, 1810
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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 the 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, at below 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) depth. One species, Abyssobrotula galatheae, was recorded at the bottom of the Puerto Rico trench, making it the deepest recorded fish at 8,370 metres (27,460 ft).[2]
The largest species, Lamprogrammus shcherbachevi, grows up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length, but most species are shorter than a metre. 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:[3]
Subfamily Brotulinae
- Genus Brotula – typical brotulas
Subfamily Brotulotaenilinae
- Genus Brotulotaenia
Subfamily Neobythitinae
- Genus Abyssobrotula
- Genus Acanthonus
- 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 de
- 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; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Ophidiidae". FishBase. February 2006 version.
- ^ a b 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.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) - ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Ophidiidae". FishBase. December 2008 version.
External links
