Notacanthus chemnitzii
Snubnosed Spiny Eel
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Albuliformes (Bonefishes)
Notocanthidae (Spiny Eels)
Notacanthus
Notacanthus chemnitzii (Snubnosed Spiny Eel)
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
Elongate, moderately deep bodied, and compressed, with a spatulate snout projecting beyond mouth and a long, tapering tail without a distinct caudal fin. Preanal depth is 25% to 41%, head length is 25% to 35%, and snout length is 1% to 14% of gnathoproctal length. Premaxillary teeth number 19 to 37 and are clawlike, compressed, with tip abruptly expanded, and broader than proximal shaft. Expanded tips of premaxillary teeth are in contact to form continuous cutting edge. Palatine and dentary teeth are needlelike and slightly compressed or curved, and are in two or more complete rows. Palatine tooth patches meet along midline. Posterior end of maxilla is bent ventrally at right angle to remainder of bone. Maxillary spine projects posteriorly from expanded bent part of bone. Branchiostegal rays number 7 to 9, and total gill rakers on first arch number 12 to 17. Pelvic fin base is ventral to first dorsal spine and has one fulcral spine and 9 or 10 rays. Two or 3 pelvic rays are modified into spines. Dorsal fin consists of 9 to 12 independent spines. Lateral line pores number 39 to 54 from gill cleft to level of anus.
Color is pale tan or pale gray to dark brown, with lips, opercular margin, and more posterior part of anal fin nearly black.
Distribution
In the western Atlantic it occurs from Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat Associations
Between 128 to 1,001 m, possibly worldwide with exception of the tropics
Biology
Food consists of sea anemones and actinarians.
Maximum known size is 1,200 mm TL, 443 mm gnathoproctal length.
Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302) and epibenthic (Ref. 58426). Not uncommon in depths around 180 m off Iceland and Greenland. Individuals with nearly ripe eggs have been found in late autumn off Iceland. Mostly found at depths well below 200 m, but enters slightly shallower water on Grand Banks in Canada (Ref. 7251). Feeds primarily on sea anemones (Ref. 4449).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011-03-14. Resilience: Low (Assuming tmax>10).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
It is distinguished from the other species of the family by the combination of characters described.
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
McDowell 1973
Sulak 1986b,c
Sulak, K.J. (1990) Notacanthidae. p. 133-135. 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.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Nakamura, I., T. Inada, M. Takeda and H. Hatanaka (1986) Important fishes trawled off Patagonia. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo. 369 p.
Coad, B.W. and J.D. Reist (2004) Annotated list of the arctic marine fishes of Canada. Can. MS Rep. Fish Aquat. Sci. 2674:iv:+112 p.
Bañón, R., D. Barros-García, F. Baldó, M. Cojan and A. de Carlos (2024) Unveiling taxonomic diversity in the deep-sea fish genus Notacanthus (Notacanthiformes: Notacanthidae) with description of Notacanthus arrontei n. sp. J. Fish Biol.: [1-14]. DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15734
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