Bassogigas gillii

Bassogigas gillii
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Ophidiiformes
Family: Ophidiidae
Genus: ''Bassogigas''
Goode & T. H. Bean, 1896
Species: B. gillii
Binomial name
Bassogigas gillii
Goode & T. H. Bean, 1896

Bassogigas gillii is a species of cusk-eel found in the Indian, Pacific Ocean, and Atlantic Oceans at depths of from 637 to 2,239 metres (2,090 to 7,346 ft).

Etymology

The name "Bassogigas" comes from a combination of two Latin words: bassus, which means "thick" or "fat", and gigas which means "giant".[1]

Description

This species grows to a length of 85 centimetres (33 in) TL. It is the only member of its genus. B. gillii has no dorsal or anal spines but does have between 103 and 110 dorsal rays and 83–88 anal rays. Its spinal column is contains 60–64 vertebra and its long lateral line (up to 84% the total length) helps to distinguish it from its relative, Bassogigas walkeri.[2]

Distribution and habitat

B. gillii is found throughout the Indian and west Pacific Oceans from the tip of South Africa to New Caledonia including Madagascar.[3] It is also found in the western Atlantic Ocean, though not the eastern, and is known from the United States, Bahamas, Cuba and Brazil.[3] Other important areas where B. gillii can be found include the Gulf of Mexico, Bear Seamount and Agulhas Current.[4][2] It can general be found living on or near the bottom at depths between 637 and 2239 meters.[5]

References

  1. Romero, P., 2002. An etymological dictionary of taxonomy. Madrid, unpublished.
  2. 1 2 Nielsen, J.G. and P.R. Møller, 2011. Revision of the bathyal cusk-eels of the genus Bassogigas (Ophidiidae) with description of a new species from off Guam, west Pacific Ocean. J. Fish Biol. 78:783-795.
  3. 1 2 Fishbase
  4. Moore, J.A., M. Vecchione, K.E. Hartel, B.B. Collette, J.K. Galbraith, R. Gibbons, M. Turnipseed, M. Southworth and E. Watkins, 2001. Biodiversity of Bear seamount, New England seamount chain: results of exploratory trawling. Scientific Council Research Document. Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization. Dartmouth NS 01/155:8p.
  5. Mincarone, M.M., J.G. Nielsen and P.A.S. Costa, 2008. Deep-sea ophidiiform fishes collected on the Brazilian continental slope, between 11° and 23°S. Zootaxa 1770:41-64.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/25/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.