Pancake batfish

Last updated

Pancake batfish
Halieutichthys aculeatus SI.jpg
Halieutichthys aculeatus X-ray.jpg
Halieutichthys aculeatus, conventional and X-ray images
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Ogcocephalidae
Genus: Halieutichthys
Species:
H. aculeatus
Binomial name
Halieutichthys aculeatus
(Mitchill, 1818)
Halieutichthys aculeatus range.png
Synonyms [2]
  • Lophius aculeatus Mitchill, 1818
  • Halieutichthys reticulatus Poey, 1863
  • Halieutella lappa Goode & T. H. Bean, 1884

The pancake batfish (Halieutichthys aculeatus), Atlantic pancake batfish, Louisiana pancake batfish or spiny batfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes or seabats. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Contents

Taxonomy

The pancake batfish was first formally described in 1818 as Lophius aculeatus by the American naturalist Samuel Mitchill with the original type locality given as the Strait of Bahamas, with a neotype later being designated "from 32°28'N, 78°47'09"W, about 92.4 kilometers at 107° off Off Charleston Light, South Carolina, USA". Although Lophius aculeatus was preoccupied by L. aculeatus Walbaum, 1792, this synonym of Lophius piscatorius was never used and Mitchill's name is a nomen protectum. [3] In 1863 the Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey was credited by Theodore Gill with the name Halieutichthys reticulatus and with proposing the new monospecific genus Halieutichthys . Poey's H. reticulatus is now considered to be a synonym of Mitchill's L. aculeatus, and is the type species of its genus by monotypy. [4] This species, alongside H. bispinosus and H. intermedius make up the aculeatus species complex within the genus Halieutichthys. [5] The genus Halieutichthys is classified within the "Eastern Pacific/Western Atlantic clade" of the family Ogcocephalidae. [6] The family Ogcocephalidae is classified in the monotypic suborder Ogcocephaloidei within the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes in the 5th edition of Fishes of the World . [7]

Etymology

The pancake batfish belongs to the genus Halieutichthys which combines the genus name Halieutaea, for the similarity of these fishes to the species in that genus, and ichthys, the Greek word for "fish". The specific name, aculeatus, means "spined" or "sharply pointed", an allusion to the prickly back and edge of the disc. [8]

Description

The pancake batfish has a flattened head and body which are widened into a rounded disc, with a moderately long tail. The mouth is very small, as is the illicial cavity on the snout which is covered by puffy, membranous folds. The esca is a single bulb. The pupils are covered. There is a buckler at the angle of the preoperculum which is not larger than the nearby bucklers. The openings of the gills are small and they are located to the rear of the upper base of the pectoral fins. The gill rakers are similar to small teeth set on short stalks. They have small dorsal and anal fins which are located to the rear of the body. The bases of the pectoral fins have a wide attachment to the body and the pelvic fins are not reduced in size. The lateral line is complete and there are a pair of lateral line organs on the caudal peduncle behind the anus. There are no tubercles along the lateral line. The scales are large, irregular, pitted tubercles; with few, sparse tubercles on the caudal peduncle while the tubercles on the upper body are relatively small and sharp, although they are only rarely present over the eye. There is a triangle of 3 tubercles on the side of each shoulder to the rear of the eye with the innermost tubercle being small and blunt, The adults are scaleless on the underside of the body and large areas of the upperside are also without scales. [9] This species is distinguished from other members of the aculeatus species complex by the two narrow black bands across its pectoral fins. [5] There is a rather fine reticulated pattern of color on the upper body surface, made up of a dense pattern of melanophores. This is a rather small species with the adult body size usually reaching a standard length of no greater than 7 cm (2.8 in), the maximum published total length of 10 cm (3.9 in). [2]

Distribution and habitat

The pancake batfish is found in the western Atlantic Ocean where it has been recorded from Cape Hatteras in North Carolina southwards along southeastern coast of the United States to the northwestern Bahamas. In the Gulf of Mexico it has been recorded from the Florida Keys north to Louisiana, as well as from Tabasco, Mexico. Records from farther south need verification. This demersal fish is found at depths between 5 and 422 m (16 and 1,385 ft), typically between 50 and 150 m (160 and 490 ft), on soft sediments. [1]

Biology

The pancake batfish partially buries itself in the sediment. Like other anglerfishes, this species is an ambush predator that preys on small gastropods, bivalves and crustaceans, as well as polychaete worms and rarely small fishes. The eggs and larvae are pelagic and metamorphosis begins when the larvae settle on the substrate. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogcocephalidae</span> Family of fishes (anglerfish)

Ogcocephalidae is a family of anglerfish specifically adapted for a benthic lifestyle of crawling about on the seafloor. Ogcocephalid anglerfish are sometimes referred to as batfishes, deep-sea batfishes, handfishes, and seabats. They are found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. They are mostly found at depths between 200 and 3,000 m, but have been recorded as deep as 4,000 m (13,000 ft). A few species live in much shallower coastal waters and, exceptionally, may enter river estuaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starry handfish</span> Species of fish

The starry handfish, starry seabat or minipizza batfish, is species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep-sea batfishes or seabats. This fish is found on the continental shelves of the Indo-Pacific oceans at depths of between 50 and 400 m. They are up to 30 cm long.

<i>Ogcocephalus vespertilio</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus vespertilio, the Brazilian batfish or seadevil, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Oceean. The Brazilian batfsish is the type species of the genus Ogcocephalus.

<i>Ogcocephalus parvus</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus parvus, the roughback batfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the batifishes. This species has a wide distribution in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Halieutichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Halieutichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep-sea batfishes or sea bats. The fishes in this genus are found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Malthopsis</i> Genus of fishes

Malthopsis, the gnome batfishes or triangular batfishes, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The triangular batfishes are distributed throughout the warmer waters of the world, although they are absent from the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. The genus was originally proposed in 1891 by the British naturalist Alfred W. Alcock.

<i>Dibranchus</i> Genus of fishes

Dibranchus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The fishes in this genus are widely distributed in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Ogcocephalus</i> Genus of fishes

Ogcocephalus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The species in this genus are found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Western Atlantic Ocean, with most species in the eastern Atlantic Ocean where they live at shallower depths than the other ogcocephalid genera.

Solocisquama is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The species in this genus are benthic fishes found in deep waters in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The Louisiana pancake batfish, Halieutichthys intermedius, belongs to the batfish family Ogcocephalidae. It is native to the Gulf of Mexico, and was discovered in 2010. The known range of the species lies within the area of the Gulf of Mexico which was affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

<i>Ogcocephalus corniger</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus corniger, the longnose batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. This fish is found at depths between 29 and 230 m in the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas. Like other members of the family Ogcocephalidae, it has a flat triangular body with coloring varying from yellowish to purple with pale, round spots. The lips are orange-red. Projecting from its head is a characteristic structure that is shared by other anglerfish.

Halieutichthys bispinosus, the two-spine batfish or spiny batfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes or seabats. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Ogcocephalus notatus</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus notatus, the marked batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. It is found in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean.

Ogcocephalus porrectus, the rosy-lipped batfish, is endemic to Cocos Island off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Though members of Ogcocephalidae occur in tropical, warm waters in both the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. Rosy-lipped batfish generally reside in shallow to deep water benthic zones with a bathymetric range of 35 – 150 m. The syntypic series was collected at 120 m on a rocky bottom. What makes this fish distinctive are its rosy red lips, specialized pectoral fins used for "walking", and an illicium used for attracting prey.

Halieutopsis margaretae, Margaret's deepsea batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. This fish is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Ogcocephalus declivirostris</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus declivirostris, the slantbrow batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. This species is found in the western Atlantic Ocean from the northern Gulf of Mexico to the Straits of Florida.

<i>Ogcocephalus pumilus</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus pumilus, the dwarf batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is the smallest species in the genus Ogcocephalus.

Ogcocephalus rostellum, the palefin batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Ogcocephalus cubifrons</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus cubifrons, the spotted batfish or polka-dot batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. This is an uncommon demersal fish found in the Western Atlantic Ocean and the southern Gulf of Mexico, in the United States, Mexico and the Bahamas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caribbean batfish</span> Species of fish

The Caribbean batfish, also known as the two-spine batfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes or seabats. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Carpenter, K.E. (2015). "Halieutichthys aculeatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T20664078A20682768. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T20664078A20682768.en . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Halieutichthys aculeatus". FishBase . February 2024 version.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Halieutichthys". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences.
  4. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Ogcocephalidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  5. 1 2 Ho, H. C.; Chakrabarty, P.; Sparks, J. S. (2010). "Review of the Halieutichthys aculeatus species complex (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae), with descriptions of two new species". Journal of Fish Biology . 77 (4): 841–869. Bibcode:2010JFBio..77..841H. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02716.x. PMID   20840615.
  6. ↑ Valerie Derouen; William B. Ludt; Hsuan-Ching Ho; Prosanta Chakrabarty (2015). "Examining evolutionary relationships and shifts in depth preferences in batfishes (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 84: 27–33. Bibcode:2015MolPE..84...27D. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.12.011. PMID   25554525.
  7. ↑ Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 508–518. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN   2015037522. OCLC   951899884. OL   25909650M.
  8. ↑ Christopher Scharpf (14 November 2022). "Order LOPHIIFORMES (part 1): Families LOPHIIDAE, ANTENNARIIDAE, TETRABRACHIIDAE, LOPHICHTHYIDAE, BRACHIONICHTHYIDAE, CHAUNACIDAE and OGCOCEPHALIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  9. ↑ "Species: Halieutichthys aculeatus, Atlantic Pancake Batfish, Pancake Batfish". Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.