Brownsnout spookfish
| Brownsnout spookfish | |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Argentiniformes |
| Family: | Opisthoproctidae |
| Genus: | Dolichopteryx |
| Species: | D. longipes |
| Binomial name | |
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Dolichopteryx longipes (Vaillant, 1888) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Aulostoma longipes Vaillant, 1888 |
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Aulostoma longipes Vaillant, 1888
The brownsnout spookfish (Dolichopteryx longipes) is a species of barreleye in the family Opisthoproctidae. It and the glasshead barreleye fish are the only vertebrates known to employ a mirror, in addition to a lens, to focus an image in its eyes. This species probably has a worldwide tropical and temperate distribution; in the Atlantic Ocean it is known from Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Pacific Ocean it is known from the California Current region and the South China Sea. It is found in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones at a depth of 500–2,400 meters (1,600–7,900 ft), but usually occurs below 1,000 meters (3,280 feet 10 inches). In the Gulf of Mexico it is found shallower, at 310–460 meters (1,020–1,510 ft).
The body of D. longipes is slender, the depth 12.6–14.3% of the standard length. The head comprises 29-32.4% of the standard length, with a long, pointed snout. The eyes are cylindrical and face upward, with an accessory outgrowth to the side, and are covered with a silvery layer called the "argentea" for camouflage. The upper jaw is toothless, and there is a single row of small teeth in the lower jaw. There are 13 fin rays in the pectoral fins, 10–11 rays in the dorsal fin, 8–9 rays in the pelvic fins, and 8–9 rays in the anal fin. The pelvic fins are elongated, and there may be an adipose fin. The body is transparent, covered by thin scales. There are four pairs of blotches on the peritoneal cavity beneath the gut, a line of chromatophores below the lateral line to the position of dorsal fin, and two blotches on the base of the tail. The snout is dusky in color. The maximum known length is 18 cm (7.1 in).
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Wikipedia