Macroramphosus scolopax
Longspine Snipefish
Collection Details
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Gasterosteiformes (Sticklebacks and relatives)
Macroramphosidae (Snipefishes)
Macroramphosus
Macroramphosus scolopax (Longspine Snipefish)
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.)
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Characters
Compressed, moderately deep bodied, and relatively elongate, with snout produced into long tube and with body plates on flanks above pectoral fins. Body depth is 24.7% to 27.3% (x = 26.3%), snout length is 32.8% to 35.9% (x = 34.3%), and second dorsal spine is 29.5% to 38.7% (x = 33.3%) of SL. Pectoral fin has 12 to 14 rays. First dorsal fin is separated from second by distinct gap and has five or six spines. Second dorsal fin has 10 or 11 rays. Anal fin originates under first dorsal fin base, has 16 to 18 rays, and base length is slightly more than twice as long as second dorsal fin base. Caudal fin is slightly concave.
Color is silvery in juveniles, with back bluish black. Adults are pinkish to reddish on upper side and silvery below.
Distribution
Gulf of Maine to Argentina, including the Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical to warm temperate seas, worldwide. Juveniles live pelagically in oceanic waters, while adults live near the bottom at 50 to 350 m.
Biology
Food consists of pelagic invertebrates, mainly copepods, for juveniles, and benthic fishes for adults.
Maximum known size is 200 mm SL
Found between the seabed and midwater on the lower continental shelf, over sand. Juveniles found in oceanic surface waters (Ref. 2683); adults normally live close to the bottom (normally in 50-350 m depth (Ref. 47377)). Gregarious. Juveniles feed mainly on pelagic invertebrates, mainly copepods, while adults feed on bottom invertebrates (Ref. 6732). Seems to be sympatric with Macroramphosus gracilis (Lowe, 1839) all around the world (Ref. 89357).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-01-29. Resilience: Medium (K=0.36-0.46; tmax=6).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described.
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums.
References
T. A. Clarke 1984
Ehrich 1986
Heemstra 1986J
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Boschung 1992
Ehrich, S. (1990) Macroramphosidae. p. 656-657. 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. 2.
Heemstra, P.C. (1986) Macrorhamphosidae. p. 459-461. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Ehrich, S. (1986) Macroramphosidae. p. 627. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Volume 2. Unesco, Paris.
May, J.L. and J.G.H. Maxwell (1986) Trawl fish from temperate waters of Australia. CSIRO Division of Fisheries Research, Tasmania. 492 p.
Marinaro, J.Y., R. Semroud and A. Aissi (1979) Macrorhamphosus gracilis (Lowe), poisson téléostéen nouveau des côtes algeriennes. Pelagos 5(2):103-108.
Patzner, R.A. (2008) Reproductive strategies of fish. pp. 311-350. In Rocha, M.J., A. Arukwe and B.G. Kapoor (eds). Fish reproduction: cytology, biology and ecology. Science Publisher, Inc. Oxford. 631 p.
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