Cyclopterus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
Family: | Cyclopteridae |
Genus: | Cyclopterus Linnaeus, 1758 |
Species: | C. lumpus |
Binomial name | |
Cyclopterus lumpus Linnaeus, 1758 | |
Synonyms [3] [4] | |
Genus
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Cyclopterus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cyclopteridae, the lumpsuckers or lumpfish. Its only species is Cyclopterus lumpus, the lumpsucker or lumpfish. [3] It is found in the North Atlantic and adjacent parts of the Arctic Ocean, ranging as far south as Chesapeake Bay (rare south of New Jersey) on the North American coast and Spain (rare south of the English Channel) on the European coast. [5] [3] The species has been reported twice in the Mediterranean Sea, off Croatia in 2004 and Cyprus in 2017. [6]
Cyclopterus and C. lumpus were both first formally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of the Systema Naturae with the North and Baltic Seas given as its type localities. [7] C. lumpus was the only species described by Linnaeus in the genus and is described in Catalog of Fishes as the "type by Linnaean tautonomy". [4] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognize subfamilies within the Cyclopteridae, [8] however, other authorities place this taxon in the monotypic subfamily Cyclopterinae. [4]
Cyclopterus is a compound of cyclos, meaning 'ring', with pteros, which means 'fin'. This is a reference to the pelvic fins being modified into a suction disc. The specific name lumpus is derived from the Anglo-Saxon lump and the fish was called Lumpus anglorum by Gessner in 1558. This seems to refer to the dorsal fin being embedded in the thick and tubercular skin on the back, creating the impression of a hump. [9]
Cyclopterus is sexually dimorphic with females reaching larger sizes than the males. Males typically reach 30–40 cm (12–16 in) in length while females can typically grow up to 50 cm (20 in) in length and 5 kg (11 lb 0 oz) in weight. [10] The largest specimen recorded measured 61 cm (24 in) in length, [3] and 9.6 kg (21 lb 3 oz) in weight. [11] In the brackish water of the Baltic Sea, it usually does not surpass 20 cm (8 in). [10] The body is ball-like. It has a knobbly, ridged back and three large bony tubercles on each flank. Its pelvic fins form suction discs which it uses to attach strongly to rocks or other surfaces. The head and the pectoral fins of males are larger than those of females. It has a jelly-like layer of fat under the skin. Its colour is highly variable; bluish, greyish, olive, yellowish or brownish. [12] Mature males turn orange-reddish during the breeding season. [12]
Cyclopterus spend the first few months following hatching in tidal pools, [13] or in association with floating seaweed clumps. [14] As they grow they migrate out into open water far from land where they live in the pelagic zone [15] feeding upon gelatinous zooplankton, fish eggs and small crustaceans. [16] When they reach maturity they will migrate to coastal areas in spring to breed. During the breeding season, males change colour, taking on a reddish/orange colouration. The population spawns over many months with spawning fish being caught in Iceland from March until August. [17] Females which have spawned during the previous year tend to return to the same area when spawning again. They will also return at a similar time of year i.e. individuals which spawned early and late in the season will return to spawn early and late in the season the following year. [18] A single female will lay 50,000–220,000 eggs which are laid in two batches of roughly equal size 1–2 weeks apart. [19] [20] [17] The eggs are between 2.2 and 2.5 millimetres (11⁄128 and 13⁄128 in) in diameter and the ovary can account for up to one third of the weight of the female fish before spawning. [17]
The female will lay the eggs in a nest area pre-selected by the male, which will usually consist of a rocky outcrop or boulders on the seabed. [21] The nest is in relatively shallow water (<10 metres (33 ft)) and may even be in the intertidal zone. [21] The male also guards and cares for the eggs by fanning them with his fins during the month-long incubation period. [21]
Several aspects of their biology (i.e. lack of a swimbladder, its pelvic suction disc) led some to believe that they were a bottom dwelling species. [22] Lumpfish are frequently caught in pelagic fishing nets, [15] [23] however, capture in bottom trawls is also common. [24] [25] An investigation using electronic data-storage tags attached to the fish have confirmed that, at least during its breeding migration, this fish will spend time associated with the sea bed, and also some time in the pelagic zone. [26] As the fish came close to breeding, they began to spend a greater amount of time in the pelagic zone. With the lack of a swim bladder, the fish were able to make rapid movements through the water column, moving between surface waters and depths of over 300 m (980 ft) within one day. Data from research surveys and data-storage tags show that adult lumpfish alter their behaviour between night and day with the fish spending more time in the pelagic zone at night and found associated with the seabed during the day, the reasons for this are unclear. [24] [26] The current understanding is that after the juveniles leave coastal areas, they adopt a pelgic lifestyle, inhabiting the upper 50–60 m of the water column. It is only when they begin their return migration to the coastal areas for spawning that they begin to spend time close to the seafloor.
Juvenile lumpfish exhibit biofluorescence, [27] that is, when they are illuminated, light absorbed by the organism is remitted in lower energy wavelengths. The light reemitted by lumpfish appears green to the human observer and peaks at 545 and 613 nm. The greatest intensity is along the tubercles of the high crest and the three longitudinal ridges. The purpose of this biofluorescence remains unclear and it is also not known if this is also exhibited by adult lumpfish.
Cyclopterus is fished for its roe, landings of lumpfish roe varied from approximately 2,000–8,000 metric tons (2,200–8,800 short tons) from 1977 to 2018. In recent years, Iceland and Greenland have been the two largest fishing nations in regards to lumpfish and account for >95% of the global catch. [28] [29] Historically, Norway and Canada also contributed significant amounts but due to a decrease in the price of salted roe, and a severe population decline in Canada, [30] the contribution from these countries has decreased. [28] Denmark and Sweden have also contributed but the amount has been low in comparison with the other countries. [29] Female fish are the main target for the fishery which utilizes the roe to make lumpfish caviar. [29] Lumpfish are targeted close to the shore, where they come to spawn, using small fishing boats (generally less than 15 m or 49 ft) with large mesh gillnets. [29] Due to the smaller size of the male, very few are caught in the large meshes. Traditionally, the roe would be removed at sea and the bodies disposed of. In Iceland, it is now mandatory for the bodies to be landed; [31] these are now frozen and exported, mainly to China.
In Iceland, there is also the tradition of catching the male fish, mainly for the local market. This is done using gillnets with a smaller mesh size than that used for the females. The males are targeted in January–February, which is earlier than the females which are targeted from March until August.
Cyclopterus populations in both Iceland and Norway, the population is monitored using data from scientific surveys and is currently above the long term average and considered to be healthy. In Greenland, no survey data is available and data on fishing effort and landings are monitored. The time series is short for this population however appears to be stable. The population in Canada appears to be depleted and the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has classified this as threatened. There is a lack of data to reliably assess the abundance of lumpfish in the North Sea or Baltic Sea thus the population status of this area is unknown. The fishery in Greenland and Norway was certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2015 and 2017 respectively with these certifications being valid for 5 years. The fishery in Iceland was certified in 2014 but this was suspended in 2018 due to issues surrounding bycatch but regained certification in 2020.
Cyclopterus roe, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, is used to produce relatively inexpensive caviar substitutes. The roe is removed from the fish and processed to remove connective tissue. The roe is stored in large barrels where it is salted. The roe is dyed either red or black and packed with a mould inhibitor such as sodium benzoate (E211). [32] In Scandinavia the flesh of the fish is eaten. [3] In Iceland, the males are often salted and smoked, or simply boiled. The female lumpfish is rarely eaten fresh but when it is caught during the spawning season, the guts and head removed, scored deeply with a knife and hung in a cool place until the flesh turns yellow. The fish is then poached before serving, as a dish called sigin grásleppa in Icelandic.
They are used as "cleaner fish" to reduce the parasite burden on salmon farms in Scotland, Iceland and Norway. [33]
The Atlantic cod is a fish of the family Gadidae, widely consumed by humans. It is also commercially known as cod or codling.
The haddock is a saltwater ray-finned fish from the family Gadidae, the true cods. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Melanogrammus. It is found in the North Atlantic Ocean and associated seas, where it is an important species for fisheries, especially in northern Europe, where it is marketed fresh, frozen and smoked; smoked varieties include the Finnan haddie and the Arbroath smokie. Other smoked versions include long boneless, the fileted side of larger haddock smoked in oak chips with the skin left on the fillet.
The Cyclopteridae are a family of marine fishes, commonly known as lumpsuckers or lumpfish, in the order Scorpaeniformes. They are found in the cold waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, and North Pacific oceans. The greatest number of species are found in the North Pacific. The family name Cyclopteridae derives from the Greek words κύκλος (kyklos), meaning "circle", and πτέρυξ (pteryx), meaning "wing" or "fin", in reference to the circle-shaped pectoral fins of most of the fish in this family.
The capelin or caplin is a small forage fish of the smelt family found in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic oceans. In summer, it grazes on dense swarms of plankton at the edge of the ice shelf. Larger capelin also eat a great deal of krill and other crustaceans. Among others, whales, seals, Atlantic cod, Atlantic mackerel, squid and seabirds prey on capelin, in particular during the spawning season while the capelin migrate south. Capelin spawn on sand and gravel bottoms or sandy beaches at the age of two to six years. When spawning on beaches, capelin have an extremely high post-spawning mortality rate which, for males, is close to 100%. Males reach 20 cm (8 in) in length, while females are up to 25.2 cm (10 in) long. They are olive-coloured dorsally, shading to silver on sides. Males have a translucent ridge on both sides of their bodies. The ventral aspects of the males iridesce reddish at the time of spawn.
Gillnetting is a fishing method that uses gillnets: vertical panels of netting that hang from a line with regularly spaced floaters that hold the line on the surface of the water. The floats are sometimes called "corks" and the line with corks is generally referred to as a "cork line." The line along the bottom of the panels is generally weighted. Traditionally this line has been weighted with lead and may be referred to as "lead line." A gillnet is normally set in a straight line. Gillnets can be characterized by mesh size, as well as colour and type of filament from which they are made. Fish may be caught by gillnets in three ways:
Pink salmon or humpback salmon is a species of euryhaline ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the type species of the genus Oncorhynchus, and is the smallest and most abundant of the seven officially recognized species of salmon. The species' scientific name is based on the Russian common name for this species gorbúša (горбуша), which literally means humpie.
The black dogfish is a species of dogfish shark in the family Etmopteridae. It is common over the outer continental shelf and continental slope at depths of 180–2,250 m (590–7,380 ft). Females generally inhabit deeper water than males, and depending on the region, smaller sharks may occur at different depths than larger ones. This species is distributed widely in the Atlantic Ocean, from Greenland and Iceland to Virginia and West Africa in the north, and off southwestern Africa and Argentina in the south. The largest member of its family, the black dogfish, typically measures 60–75 cm (24–30 in) long. It has a stocky, dark brown body that is darker below than above, and bears scattered, minute bioluminescent organs. Its two dorsal fins are preceded by stout spines, and the anal fin is absent.
The common ling, also known as the white ling or simply the ling, is a large member of the family Lotidae, a group of cod-like fishes. It resembles the related rocklings, but it is much larger and has a single barbel. This species is unrelated to the pink ling, Genypterus blacodes, from the Southern Hemisphere. The common ling is found in the northern Atlantic, mainly off Europe, and into the Mediterranean Basin. It is an important quarry species for fisheries, especially in the northeastern Atlantic, although some doubts exist as to the sustainability of the fisheries. As an edible species, it is eaten fresh, frozen, or dried, but also preserved in lye, while the roe is a delicacy in Spain.
Cleaner fish are fish that show a specialist feeding strategy by providing a service to other species, referred to as clients, by removing dead skin, ectoparasites, and infected tissue from the surface or gill chambers. This example of cleaning symbiosis represents mutualism and cooperation behaviour, an ecological interaction that benefits both parties involved. However, the cleaner fish may consume mucus or tissue, thus creating a form of parasitism called cheating. The client animals are typically fish of a different species, but can also be aquatic reptiles, mammals, or octopuses. A wide variety of fish including wrasse, cichlids, catfish, pipefish, lumpsuckers, and gobies display cleaning behaviors across the globe in fresh, brackish, and marine waters but specifically concentrated in the tropics due to high parasite density. Similar behaviour is found in other groups of animals, such as cleaner shrimps.
Anarhichas minor, the spotted wolffish, spotted sea cat or leopardfish, is a large marine fish of the family Anarhichadidae. This bottom-dwelling species is found across the North Atlantic and adjacent parts of the Arctic Ocean from north of Russia and the Scandinavian Peninsula to the Scotian Shelf, off Nova Scotia, Canada. In Canada the population declined by about 90% from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, particularly in the northern part of its range. In Canada it is classified as a threatened species.
Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, to spawn refers to the process of freely releasing eggs and sperm into a body of water ; the physical act is known as spawning. The vast majority of aquatic and amphibious animals reproduce through spawning. These include the following groups:
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The common dragonet is a species of dragonet which is widely distributed in the eastern North Atlantic where it is common near Europe from Norway and Iceland southwards. It is a demersal species that occurs over sand bottoms. It lives to a maximum age of around seven years. It is caught in bycatch by fisheries and is used in the aquarium trade.
Lernaeocera branchialis, sometimes called cod worm, is a parasite of marine fish, found mainly in the North Atlantic. It is a marine copepod which starts life as a small pelagic crustacean larva. It is among the largest of copepods, ranging in size from 2 to 3 millimetres when it matures as a copepodid larva to more than 40 mm as a sessile adult.
The smooth lumpfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cyclopteridae, the lumpfishes and lumpsuckers. This species is found in the northern Pacific Ocean. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Aptocyclus.
The European flying squid is a species of squid from the continental slope and oceanic waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the type species of the genus Todarodes, the type genus of the subfamily Todarodinae of the pelagic squid family Ommastrephidae. It is a species which is targeted by some fisheries, although it is more often a bycatch.
The Pacific spiny lumpsucker is a species of bony fish in the family Cyclopteridae.
Eumicrotremus spinosus, commonly known as the Atlantic spiny lumpsucker, is a species of lumpfish native to the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Eumicrotremus pacificus, sometimes known as the spotted lumpsucker or the balloon lumpfish, is a species of lumpfish native to the Northwest Pacific. It can be found in the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean off Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands. It may be confused with the closely related Eumicrotremus orbis, which overlaps with E. pacificus in range, although E. pacificus is larger, reaching 20 cm (7.9 inches) TL. This fish is generally yellow to orange in color with small dark spots and its tubercles are usually smaller and less pronounced than E. orbis, giving it a less spiny appearance.
Proeumicrotrmus is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cyclopteridae, the lumpfishes or lumpsuckers. The only species in the genus is Proeumicrotremus soldatovi, Soldatov's lumpsucker. This species is found in the Northwest Pacific. It is known from the Sea of Okhotsk, where it can be found at depths of 10 to 350 m. It reaches 26 cm (10 in) in total length, making it larger than average for a lumpfish. It was previously considered a species of Eumicrotremus until a morphology-based revision in 2020 concluded that it represents the only known species of a distinct genus.