Bathyonus pectoralis
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Ophidiiformes (Pearlfishes and others)
Ophidiidae (Cusk-Eels)
Bathyonus
Bathyonus pectoralis
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.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page.
Learn more about our species accounts.
Characters
Relatively slender body, 15% of SL. Pectoral fin has 17 rays, with lower rays free of membranes and elongated. Head has a broad, flat, sharply pointed opercular spine. Snout is blunt and does not overhang lower jaw. Mouth is large, nearly horizontal, and extends well beyond eye. Villiform teeth occur in jaws, vomer, and palatine. Eye is small. Branchiostegal rays number 8. First gill arch has 5 gill rakers on epibranch and 18 gill rakers on lower limb. Head is 17.5% to 18.6%, snout length is 4.5% to 5%, eye diameter is 2% to 2.2%, predorsal length is 22.1% to 22.3%, preanal length is 40.4% to 42%, body depth is 12.8% to 13.1%, and pelvic fin is 10.3% to 11% SL. Dorsal fin originates above pectoral fin base and has about 93 rays. Pelvic fin is under preoperculum and consists of 2 filamentous rays. Anal fin has 73 rays, and caudal fin has 6 rays.
Color is pale, with head, opercular region, and peritoneum dark.
Distribution
Western Atlantic
Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Depth range: 604 to 2,615 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 215 mm TL
Uncommon species (Ref. 34024). Oviparous, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2018-10-11. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by a combination of characters
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
Goode and Bean 1896
Grey 1958
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
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.
Comments On Bathyonus pectoralis