Cyclothone signata | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Stomiiformes |
Family: | Gonostomatidae |
Genus: | Cyclothone |
Species: | C. signata |
Binomial name | |
Cyclothone signata Garman, 1899 | |
Cyclothone signata, the showy bristlemouth, is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cyclothone. [1] [2]
Cyclothone alba was originally described as a subspecies of C. signata: Cyclothone signata alba, by Brauer in 1906. [3]
C. signata is disruptively colored, [4] typically being either gray or transparent. [5]
The species is usually found to be bimodally distributed among the shallow and deep ends of the mesopelagic zone, [4] and is thought to migrate vertically between them, feeding in the shallow areas, and descending to the deeper ocean to rest. [6]
The species is oviparous. [2] Encounters with the species are rare, but one sample, taken off the coast of the Gulf of Maine in 1915, measured 23mm. [5] [7]
Catsharks are ground sharks of the family Scyliorhinidae. They are the largest family of sharks with around 160 species placed in 17 genera. Although they are generally known as catsharks, some species can also be called dogfish due to previous naming. However, a dogfish may generally be distinguished from a catshark as catsharks lay eggs while dogfish have live young. Like most bottom feeders, catsharks feed on benthic invertebrates and smaller fish. They are not harmful to humans. The family is paraphyletic, containing several distinct lineages that do not form a monophyletic group.
The snailfishes or sea snails are a family of marine ray-finned fishes. These fishes make up the Liparidae, which is classified within the order Scorpaeniformes.
The dusky smooth-hound, also called the smooth dogfish or the dog shark, is a species of houndshark in the family Triakidae. This shark is an olive grey or brown in color, and may have shades of yellow or grayish white. Females live to 16 years and males have a lifespan of 10 years. M. canis was the first shark recognised to have viral infections.
The Gonostomatidae are a family of mesopelagic marine fish, commonly named bristlemouths, lightfishes, or anglemouths. It is a relatively small family, containing only eight known genera and 32 species. However, bristlemouths make up for their lack of diversity with relative abundance, numbering in the hundreds of trillions to quadrillions. The genus Cyclothone is thought to be one of the most abundant vertebrate genera in the world.
Fangtooths are beryciform fish of the family Anoplogastridae that live in the deep sea. The name is from the Greek anoplo, meaning "unarmed", and γαστήρ, meaning "stomach". With a worldwide distribution in tropical and cold-temperate waters, the family contains only two very similar species in one genus, with no known close relatives.
Cymothoa exigua, or the tongue-eating louse, is a parasitic isopod of the family Cymothoidae. It enters fish through the gills. The female attaches to the tongue, while the male attaches to the gill arches beneath and behind the female. Females are 8–29 mm (0.3–1.1 in) long and 4–14 mm (0.16–0.55 in) wide. Males are about 7.5–15 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long and 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) wide. The parasite severs the blood vessels in the fish's tongue, causing the tongue to fall off. It then attaches itself to the remaining stub of tongue and the parasite itself effectively serves as the fish's new "tongue".
A viperfish is any species of marine fish in the genus Chauliodus. Viperfishes are mostly found in the mesopelagic zone and are characterized by long, needle-like teeth and hinged lower jaws. A typical viperfish grows to lengths of 30 cm (12 in). Viperfishes undergo diel vertical migration and are found all around the world in tropical and temperate oceans. Viperfishes are capable of bioluminescence and possess photophores along the ventral side of their body, likely used to camouflage them by blending in with the less than 1% of light that reaches to below 200 meters depth.
The veiled anglemouth, Cyclothone microdon, is a bristlemouth of the family Gonostomatidae, abundant in all the world's oceans at depths of 300 – 2,500 meters. Its length is 10–15 cm (4–8 in) though the largest known specimen is 7.6 cm (3 in). It gets its name from its circular mouth, filled with small teeth: the name “cyclothone” means in a circle or around and “microdon” means small teeth. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the veiled anglemouth is of Least Concern due to its abundance in most oceans and the little effect human impact has on its population growth. Some of the veiled anglemouth's physical features include a brown to black body with a radiating, or expansive, bioluminescent pigment over its head and fins.
Clingfishes are fishes of the family Gobiesocidae, the only family in the order Gobiesociformes. These fairly small to very small fishes are widespread in tropical and temperate regions, mostly near the coast, but a few species in deeper seas or fresh water. Most species shelter in shallow reefs or seagrass beds, clinging to rocks, algae and seagrass leaves with their sucking disc, a structure on their chest.
The lollipop catshark is a little-known species of deep sea catshark, belonging to the family Scyliorhinidae, and the only described member of its genus. A diminutive, bottom-dwelling shark of the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope, this species can be readily identified by its tadpole-like shape with a greatly expanded, rounded head and narrow body. The large head houses expanded gills, which are thought to be an adaptation for hypoxic conditions. This shark preys on crustaceans and fishes. Reproduction is aplacental viviparous, with females retaining egg cases internally two at a time until they hatch. There is no fishery interest in this species.
The Gulf sturgeon is a subspecies of sturgeon that lives in the Gulf of Mexico and some rivers draining into it. The Gulf sturgeon was first recognized as a separate subspecies in 1955. The nominate subspecies is the Atlantic sturgeon, A. o. oxyrinchus. The Gulf sturgeon is listed as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act, having been listed in 1991. Critical habitat, reflecting the range of the subspecies deemed essential for its continued survival, has been designated. The historical range is thought to have been from the Suwannee River on the western coast of Florida to the Mississippi River, and marine waters of the central and eastern portions of the Gulf of Mexico. Three sturgeon species in genus Scaphirhynchus share river territory with the Gulf sturgeon; none of the other sturgeon species is anadromous.
The bluntnose stingray or Say's stingray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, native to the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from the U.S. state of Massachusetts to Venezuela. It is a bottom-dwelling species that prefers sandy or muddy habitats 1–10 m (3.3–32.8 ft) deep, and is migratory in the northern portion of its range. Typically growing to 78 cm (31 in) across, the bluntnose stingray is characterized by a rhomboid pectoral fin disc with broadly rounded outer corners and an obtuse-angled snout. It has a whip-like tail with both an upper keel and a lower fin fold, and a line of small tubercles along the middle of its back.
The bar jack, also known as the carbonero, cojinúa, red jack, blue-striped cavalla or passing jack, is a common species of inshore marine fish classified in the jack family, Carangidae. The bar jack is distributed through the western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey and Bermuda in the north to Venezuela and possibly Brazil in the south, with the largest population in the Gulf of Mexico and West Indies. The bar jack is most simply distinguished from similar jacks by its dark horizontal bar which runs along the back and down the caudal fin, often accompanied by an electric blue stripe immediately below it. Other more detailed differences include dentition and soft ray counts. The bar jack is a moderately large species, growing to a recorded maximum of 65 cm (26 in) and a weight of 6.8 kg (15 lb). The species inhabits clear shallow waters, often over coral reefs where it lives either solitarily or in large schools, taking various fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods as prey. Studies in Cuba indicate spawning occurs between March and August, with sexual maturity reached at 26 cm. It is a relatively popular sport fish and can be caught on light tackle with a variety of lures and baits. It is considered to be a good food fish, however many recorded ciguatera cases are attributed to the species, with most cases reported on the island of St. Thomas traced to this single species.
The red-lipped batfish or Galápagos batfish is a fish of unusual morphology found around the Galápagos Islands and off Peru at depths of 3 to 76 m. Red-lipped batfish are closely related to rosy-lipped batfish, which are found near Cocos Island off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. This fish is mainly known for its bright red lips. Batfish are not good swimmers; they use their highly adapted pectoral, pelvic and anal fins to "walk" on the ocean floor. When the batfish reaches maturity, its dorsal fin becomes a single spine-like projection.
The complete anglerfish (Lasiognathus) is a genus of deep-sea anglerfish in the family Thaumatichthyidae, with six species known from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Its lure apparatus appears to consist of a fishing rod, a fishing line, bait, and hooks. It is also distinctive for an enormous upper jaw with premaxillaries that can be folded down to enclose the much shorter lower jaw.
The sharptail mola is a species of mola found circumglobally in tropical and temperate waters. It is similar in appearance to the ocean sunfish, but can be distinguished by the projection on its clavus (pseudo-tail). Other common names include sharpfin sunfish, point-tailed sunfish, and trunkfish. Rarely encountered, very little is known of the biology or life history of the sharptail mola. It has recently become important to commercial fisheries operating off eastern Taiwan. This species is the only member of its genus.
The Atlantic needlefish is a common demersal needlefish species common in marinas and other areas with minimal currents. Its extremely long jaw and body set this fish apart from other predators. Atlantic needlefish are found from Maine to Brazil and have been known to venture into fresh water for short periods.
Cyclothone is a genus containing 13 extant species of bioluminescent fish, commonly known as 'bristlemouths' or 'bristlefishes' due to their shared characteristic of sharp, bristle-like teeth. These fishes typically grow to around 1-3 inches, though some can be larger. They are most commonly found in the mesopelagic zone of the ocean, mostly at depths of over 300 meters, and many species have bioluminescence.
Haemulon squamipinna is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunt belonging to the family Haemulidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean where it is endemic to Brazil, here it is locally known as Xira Amarela, and occurs along the coast from the states of Ceará to Bahia. It grows to about 20 cm (7.9 in) in length, feeds at night on benthic invertebrates, and is important for subsistence fisheries along the northeastern Brazilian coast. It forms large schools that can number in the thousands, sometimes with Haemulon aurolineatum. Juveniles are often found in shallow reefs at depths of 2 to 5 m while adults are found in deeper areas at 5 to 30 m.
Cyclothone alba, commonly known as the bristlemouth, is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cyclothone. It is found across the world, in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans.