| Channichthys | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Channichthys irinae | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Channichthyidae |
| Genus: | Channichthys Richardson, 1844 |
| Type species | |
| Channichthys rhinoceratus Richardson, 1844 | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Channichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. They are native to the Southern Ocean.
Channichthys was first formally described as a genus in 1844by the Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer John Richardson when he described the unicorn icefish (Channichthys rhinoceratus) which he placed in a new monotypic genus. [1] Subsequently up to nine species have been classified within Channichthys which is what FishBase does [2] while Catalog of Fishes recognises 5 species [3] while other authorities are of the view that the genus is monotypic and that C. rhinoceratus is the only species. [4] [5] The genus name is a compound of channos meaning "gape" and ichthys which means "fish", alluding to the wide gape of these fishes. [6]
The species of this genus are quite similar to each other, and reliable ways of distinguishing them include the shape of their dorsal fins, gill raker count and relative eye diameter to snout length.
Channichthys icefishes may have a backwards pointing spine on the snout and small tubercles on the upper surface of the head. The operculum has 5-7 robust spines with blunt spines on the other opercular bones. They have 2 lateral lines which have bony plates, although they may have other plates on their flanks. In the pelvic fin the third ray is longer than the others, The first dorsal fin is tall and in large specimens the fin rays have small tubercles on them. The first and second dorsal fins are clearly separated. They have a rounded caudal fin. [7] They have a maximum standard length which varies from 3 cm (1.2 in) in C. rugosus to 43.7 cm (17.2 in) in C. mithridatis. [2]
Channichthys icefishes are restricted to the Kerguelen-Heard region of the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. [3] They are demersal fishes. [2] They are mainly piscivorous but will also eat algae. They spawn in the summer and migrate into shallow water to do so. [7]
Channichthys icefishes, particularly C. rhinoceratus, are caught as bycatch in botton trawls for the mackerel icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari). [7]
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.
Bovichtidae, the temperate icefishes or thornfishes, is a family of marine ray-finned fishes, classified in the suborder Notothenioidei of the order Perciformes. They are native to coastal waters off Australia, New Zealand, and South America.
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.
Champsocephalus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. They are native to the Southern Ocean.
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.
Chionobathyscus is a monotypic genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes, its only member is Chionobathyscus dewitti. This species is found in the Southern Ocean.
Chionodraco is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. They are found in the Southern Ocean.
Cryodraco is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. They are found in the Southern Ocean. While C. antarcticus has minor commercial importance, C. atkinsoni and C. pappenheimi are of no interest to commercial fisheries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The toad notie, or toad notothen, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the family Nototheniidae, the notothens or cod icefishes. It is native to the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean.
Channichthys irinae, the pygmy icefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is endemic to the Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Ocean.
Channichthys mithridatis, the green icefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is endemic to the Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Ocean.
Channichthys richardsoni, the robust icefish, is a demersal species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is endemic to the shelf waters of the Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Ocean. It lives at depths of 126–310 metres (413–1,017 ft).
Channichthys panticapaei, the charcoal icefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. It is endemic to the Kerguelen Islands area in the Southern Ocean. This demersal species is found at depths of 112–154 m (367–505 ft) and is sometimes caught in bottom trawls. However, it is not targeted and is of no interest to commercial fisheries at present. It is dark gray to uniformly blackish with long first to third dorsal fin spines. The charcoal icefish reaches lengths of up to 40.2 cm (15.8 in), with females generally being smaller. This planktivorous (plankton-eating) species likely spawns from June to July, with maturity reached at 30 cm TL / 27 cm SL.
Chionodraco myersi, the Myer'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.
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.