Chionodraco

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Chionodraco
Icefish Chionodraco hamatus.jpg
C. hamatus
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Channichthyidae
Genus: Chionodraco
Lönnberg, 1906
Type species
Chionodraco hamatus
Lönnberg, 1905

Chionodraco is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. They are found in the Southern Ocean.

Contents

Taxonomy

Chionodraco was first described as a genus in 1905 by the Swedish zoologist Einar Lönnberg when he described the Chaenichthys hamatus which he subsequently placed in a new monotypic genus. [1] The genus name is a compound of chionos meaning "snow" and draco which means "dragon", Lönnberg did not explain this but it may allude to a relationship with the genus Cryodraco . [2]

Species

There are currently three recognized species in this genus: [3]

Characteristics

Chionodraco icefishes may have the spine on the snout present or it is reduced to a small centrally placed knob. The gill rakers may bear teeth or are vestigial. The upper and lower jaws are of equal length, although the lower jaw may protrude. There are robust spines on the operculum with the other opercular bones each having a pair of spines where they join. The first and second dorsal fins are separate and there are three lateral lines. In the pelvic fin the outermost pair of fin rays are the longest and the tips are covered in thickened skin. The caudal fin is rounded. [4] The maximum total length of these fishes varies from 38 cm (15 in) in C. myersi to 52 cm (20 in) in C. rastrospinosus. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Chionodraco contains two circum-antarctic species and one which is apparently confined to West Antarctica. [4] They are demersal and pelagic fishes found on the continental shelf and slope. [3]

Biology

Chionodraco icefishes are predatory, feeding on other fish species and on krill. They have a long post larval pelagic phase. [3] In common with many other channichthyid fishes, reproduction in Chionodraco hamatus involves laying eggs in a nest and parental guarding. Similar morphological features suggest that at least Chionodraco rastrospinosus has similar reproductive behaviours. [5]

Fisheries

Chionodraco icefishes are targeted by some commercial fisheries and are also taken as bycatch. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nototheniidae</span> Family of fishes

Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes, is a family of ray-finned fishes, part of the suborder Notothenioidei which is traditionally placed within the order Perciformes. They are largely found in the Southern Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Painted notie</span> Species of fish

The painted notie, or painted notothen, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes. It is native to the Southern Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mackerel icefish</span> Species of fish

The mackerel icefish is a benthopelagic species of fish found in the Southern Ocean and the southernmost waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They are mainly to be found near Heard and McDonald Islands, Îles Kerguelen and islands in the south Atlantic such as South Georgia and Bouvet Island. The species also inhabits the northern waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. They live at depths of 0–700 metres (0–2,297 ft), but are commonly found at depths of 30 to 250 metres.

<i>Chionodraco hamatus</i> Species of fish

Chionodraco hamatus is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is found in the Southern Ocean.

<i>Champsocephalus</i> Genus of fishes

Champsocephalus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. They are native to the Southern Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackfin icefish</span> Species of fish

The blackfin icefish, also known as the Scotia Sea icefish, is a species of crocodile icefish belonging to the family Channichthyidae. The blackfin icefish belongs to Notothenioidei, a suborder of fishes that accounts for 90% of the fish fauna on the Antarctic continental shelf. Icefishes, also called white-blooded fishes, are a unique family in that they are the only known vertebrates to lack haemoglobin, making their blood oxygen carrying capacity just 10% that of other teleosts. Icefishes have translucent blood and creamy white gills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spiny icefish</span> Species of fish

Chaenodraco wilsoni, the spiny icefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is native to the Southern Ocean. This species is the only known member of its genus. It is of minor interest to commercial fisheries.

<i>Channichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Channichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. They are native to the Southern Ocean.

<i>Chionobathyscus</i> Genus of fishes

Chionobathyscus dewitti is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. This species is found in the Southern Ocean.

<i>Dacodraco</i> Species of fish

Dacodraco is a monotypic genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes, its only member is Dacodraco hunteri. This species is found in the Southern Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonah's icefish</span> Species of fish

Jonah's icefish is a benthopelagic species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Neopagetopsis. It is found in the Southern Ocean at depths of from 20 to 900 metres. It has a circum-Antarctic distribution on the continental slope and continental shelf, with the northernmost records from the South Shetland and the South Orkney Islands.

<i>Pagetopsis</i> Genus of fishes

Pagetopsis is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. The species in this genus are found in the Southern Ocean.

<i>Pseudochaenichthys</i> Species of fish

Pseudochaenichthys is a monotypic genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. Its only member is Pseudochaenichthys georgianus, the South Georgia icefish, which is found in the Southern Ocean.

Cryothenia is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes, belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes. They are native to the Southern Ocean.

<i>Gobionotothen</i> Genus of fishes

Gobionotothen is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes. They are native to the Southern Ocean.

Nototheniops is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes. The species in this genus are native to the Southern Ocean.

<i>Pagetopsis maculata</i> Species of crocodile icefish

Pagetopsis maculata is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is found in the Southern Ocean. It is of no interest to commercial fisheries.

<i>Chionodraco myersi</i> Species of fish

Chionodraco myersi, the Myers's icefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is found in the Southern Ocean.

<i>Cryodraco atkinsoni</i> Species of crocodile icefish

Cryodraco atkinsoni is a bathydemersal species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is endemic to the waters of the eastern part of the Southern Ocean.

<i>Lindbergichthys nudifrons</i> Species of fish

Lindbergichthys nudifrons, the yellowfin rockcod, also known as the yellow notie or the gaudy notothen, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes. It is native to the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean.

References

  1. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Channichthyidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  2. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 April 2021). "Order Perciformes: Suborder Notothenoididei: Families Bovichtidae, Pseaudaphritidae, Elegopinidae, Nototheniidae, Harpagiferidae, Artedidraconidae, Bathydraconidae, Channichthyidae and Percophidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2021). Species of Chionodraco in FishBase . June 2021 version.
  4. 1 2 3 T. Iwami and K-H Koch (1990). "Channicthyidae Icefishes". In O. Gon and P.C. Heemstra (eds.). Fishes of the Southern Ocean. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. ISBN   9780868102115.
  5. Ferrando, S.; Castellano, L.; Gallus, L.; Ghigliotti, L.; Masini, M. A.; Pisano, E. & Vacchi, M. (2014). "A demonstration of nesting in two Antarctic icefish (genus Chionodraco) using a fin dimorphism analysis and ex situ videos". PLOS ONE. 9 (3): e90512. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...990512F. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090512 . PMC   3944016 . PMID   24598889.