Brotulotaenia brevicauda is a benthopelagic marine fish species in the family Ophidiidae. This totally black fish is usually found in the Atlantic Ocean but it has also been reported in the Indian.[2] B. brevicauda lives in deep water and grows up to 32 cm in length.[2][3][4] It is also occasionally known as the Short-tail cusk-eel.[1]
| Brotulotaenia brevicauda | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Ophidiiformes |
| Family: | Ophidiidae |
| Genus: | Brotulotaenia |
| Species: | B. brevicauda
|
| Binomial name | |
| Brotulotaenia brevicauda Cohen, 1974
| |
Description
editB. brevicauda can be differentiated from other cusk eels in that it's operculum lacks a spine. [2] Many cusk-eels also have a patch of teeth in the middle of the basibranchial region, and while B. brevicauda lacks this feature, its gill-rakers form a number of tooth-bearing tubercules.[2] The otoliths of this species are also very small and rounded. [2]
In the rest of the skeleton, B. brevicauda scales are small, prickle-like, and are not imbricated. The dorsal fin lacks spines but has 79-84 rays. Similarly, the anal fin lacks spines but has 58-64 rays. In total this species has 63-66 vertebrae, 12-15 of which are in the pre-caudal region.[2]
Distribution and habitat
editIn the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, B. brevicauda is known from the waters near Portugal, as well as one record from an area northwest of Spain[5] as well as near the Azores.[6] In the Western Atlantic, it has been found near Bermuda, in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean Sea, and may rarely appear near the Flemish Cap region.[2] B. brevicauda is also found in both the eastern and western Indian Oceans.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Cobián Rojas, D., Espinosa-Perez, H., Polanco Fernandez, A. & Vega-Cendejas, M. 2019. Brotulotaenia brevicauda. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T18138837A20682688. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T18138837A20682688.en. Downloaded on 14 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Nielsen, J.G., D.M. Cohen, D.F. Markle and C.R. Robins, 1999. Ophidiiform fishes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(18):178p. Rome: FAO.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Brotulotaenia brevicauda". FishBase. December 2012 version.
- ^ a b Bañón, R., E. Rodríguez-Marín and M. Covelo, 1999. New northern limit for the distribution of Brotulotaenia brevicauda (Ophidiiformes, Ophidiidae) and Pseudoscopelus scriptus (Perciformes, Chiasmodontidae) in the Atlantic. Cybium 23(2):189-194.
- ^ Ramos, M. (ed.). 2010. IBERFAUNA. The Iberian Fauna Databank - disponível online em "El Banco de Datos de la Fauna Ibérica - IBERFAUNA". Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2016-01-09.
- ^ Borges, P.A.V., Costa, A., Cunha, R., Gabriel, R., Gonçalves, V., Martins, A.F., Melo, I., Parente, M., Raposeiro, P., Rodrigues, P., Santos, R.S., Silva, L., Vieira, P. & Vieira, V. (Eds.) (2010). A list of the terrestrial and marine biota from the Azores. Princípia, Oeiras, 432 pp.