Gigantura chuni
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Aulopiformes
Giganturidae (Telescopefish)
Gigantura
Gigantura chuni
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, relatively deep bodied, and compressed, with a very short snout and a relatively deep caudal peduncle. Body depth increases with growth; depth at dorsal fin origin ranges from 8.9% to 20%, at anal fin origin ranges from 7.2% to 14%, and at caudal peduncle ranges from 8.1% to 11% of SL. Head length is 20% to 30%, snout length is 2.5% to 5.4%, diameter of eye is 5.5% to 8.5%, and length of upper jaw is 15% to 33% of SL. Gills are located above angle of jaws. Upper jaw has about 14 enlarged, recurved, depressible canine teeth and smaller teeth of irregular size lateral to larger teeth. Lower jaw has series of 12 enlarged, recurved, depressible canine teeth and smaller teeth of irregular size lateral to larger teeth. Pectoral fin has 30 to 33 rays. Dorsal fin has 16 to 19 rays and originates anterior to posterior one-third of body. Anal fin has 8 to 10 rays and originates beneath posterior one-fourth of dorsal fin base. Caudal peduncle is oval in cross section.
Color is black to grayish brown in preservative, and iridescent silvery in life.
Distribution
Along the southeastern coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Habitat Associations
Mesopelagic, between the surface and 1,830 m.
Biology
Food consists of mesopelagic fishes, such as Cyclothone, Gonostoma, and Chauliodus.
Maximum known length is 177 mm SL.
It is a synchronous hermaphrodite. Transformation between larval and juvenile stages takes place between 28 and 37 mm SL.
Mesopelagic species (Ref. 27000).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-05-15. Resilience: Medium (Assuming tmax>3).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from the other species of the family by the combination of characters described.
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
Walthers 1961
Walthers 1964 (as G. vorax)
Rass 1971 (as G. vorax)
Johnson 1986b
Johnson and Bertelsen 1991
Johnson, R.K. (1986) Giganturidae. p. 273-274. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Evermann, B.W. and U.O. Cox (1896) Report upon the fishes of the Missouri river basin. Rep. U.S. Fish. Comm. (1894) 20:325-429.
McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm (1998) Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. Volume 1: Myxiniformes to Gasterosteiformes. University of Texas Press, Austin. 1112p.
Comments On Gigantura chuni