Asquamiceps caeruleus
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Alepocephalidae (Slickheads)
Asquamiceps
Asquamiceps caeruleus
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Moderately elongate, moderately slender, and compressed, with a relatively long, acute snout and a moderately forked caudal fin. Snout length is longer than eye length and is 7% to 10% of SL. Head length is 37% to 45% of SL. Maxilla extends to posterior margin of orbit. One supramaxilla is present on dorsal margin of maxilla. Dentary has minute uniserial teeth to level of posterior margin of orbit. Teeth are lacking in maxilla, palatine, and vomer. First gill arch has 7 to 9 gill rakers on epibranch, 1 in corner, and 14 to 17 on lower limb. Branchiostegal rays number 5 to 7. Opercular flap extends to base of pectoral fin. Posterior edge of flap consists of bands of muscle and connective tissue. Pectoral fin is fanlike and has 14 to 16 rays. Origin of dorsal fin is over origin of anal fin, and base length is slightly greater than that of anal fin. Dorsal fin has 16 to 18 rays, and anal fin has 15 to 17 rays. Pelvic fin has 5 rays. Body, exclusive of head, is covered with irregularly arranged scales. Mid-dorsal and midventral scales are smaller than those along side, are crowded, and form ridge for short distance anterior to dorsal fin and pelvic fin respectively. Raised pores occur on preoperculum, dentaries, between and over orbits, and on posterior part of head. Lateral line is lacking. Trunk vertebrae number 21 to 22, and caudal vertebrae number 20 to 22. Pyloric caecae number 9 to 11.
Color is black on body and cobalt blue on head, except skin on unsealed bases of pectoral, pelvic, dorsal, anal, and caudal fins is light blue.
Distribution
Western Atlantic, western Gulf of Mexico
Western Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical to temperate waters, between 1,900 m and the surface and between 2,740 m and the surface
Biology
Maximum known size is 337 mm SL
Minimum depth from Ref. 58018.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-07-11. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
Markle 1980
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Markle, D.F. and Y.I. Sazanov (1990) Alepocephalidae. p. 246-264. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
Comments On Asquamiceps caeruleus