Rinoctes nasutus
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Alepocephalidae (Slickheads)
Rinoctes
Rinoctes nasutus
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, slender, and posteriorly compressed, with a long, acute snout and dorsal fin anterior to anal fin. Snout length is 9.1% to 12.4% of SL and greater than orbit length. Head length is 28.4% to 33.6% of SL. Premaxilla is produced into beak projecting anterior to tip of lower jaw. Maxilla extends to anterior margin of eye. Two supramaxillae are present on dorsal margin of maxilla. Premaxilla, maxilla, dentaries, palatine, and vomer bear teeth. Premaxillary teeth are in two rows, and those of outer row are larger than those of inner row. First gill arch has 4 gill rakers on epibranch, 1 in corner, and 15 to 17 on lower limb. Branchiostegal rays number 6 or 7. Pectoral fin is not fanlike and has 8 rays. Bases of dorsal and anal fins are about equal length. Dorsal fin has 11 to 15 rays, and anal fin has 10 to 13 rays. Pelvic fin has 7 rays. Body is naked.
Color is blackish on head and pale yellowish on body.
Distribution
Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Benthopelagic at depths of 2,000 to 4,156 m
Most abundant below 3,650 m
Biology
Food consists of crustaceans, worms, and sponges.
Maximum known size is 217 mm SL.
Ova range up to 4.5 mm in diameter.
Abyssal, mostly found below 3,650 m; locally frequent, somewhat gregarious. Feeds on engybenthic crustaceans, worms and sponges.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-07-11. 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
Markle and Merrett 1980
Markle 1984
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.
Markle, D.F. and J.-C. Quéro (1984) Alepocephalidae (including Bathylaconidae, Bathyprionidae). p. 228-253. 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. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
Markle, D.F. and N.R. Merrett (1980) The abyssal alepocephalid, Rinoctes nasutus (Pisces: Salmoniformes), a redescription and an evaluation of its systematic position. J. Zool. Lond. 190:225-239. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1980.tb07769.x
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