Rouleina maderensis
No common name
NS
GNR
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Alepocephalidae (Slickheads)
Rouleina
Rouleina maderensis
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
Moderately elongate, moderately slender, and posteriorly compressed, with a moderately long, blunt snout, large eyes located on anterior part of head. Snout length is about equal to eye length. Head length is about 33% of SL. Maxilla extends posterior to eye. Two supramaxillae are present on dorsal margin of maxilla. Premaxilla, maxilla, and dentaries bear row of small teeth. No teeth are present in palatine or vomer. First gill arch has 6 or 7 gill rakers on epibranch, 1 in corner, and 17 on lower limb. Branchiostegal rays number 6. Pectoral fin is small and has 5 to 7 rays. Origin of dorsal fin is over origin of anal fin, and fin bases are about of equal length. Dorsal and anal fins have 20 to 22 rays. Pelvic fin has 5 or 6 rays. Trunk vertebrae number 20 to 22, and caudal vertebrae number 26 to 28. Body is naked except for lateral line scales that are ringlike. Lateral line scales number 50 to 56. Skin contains small fluid-filled compartments and is covered with numerous light organs located mostly below lateral line.
Color is black.
Distribution
In the western North Atlantic it occurs off the northeastern United States, in the Straits of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Lesser Antilles, and off Costa Rica and Panama.
Habitat Associations
Benthopelagic at depths of 600 to 1,200 m.
Biology
Maximum known size is 320 mm SL.
Ova reach 3.7 mm in diameter.
Benthic species (Ref. 51024, 75154); juvenile mesopelagic (Ref. 51024). Found on the continental slope (Ref. 75154).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-07-11. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
It is distinguished from the other species of the family by the following combination of characters.
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
Markle 1978
Markle 1986
Markle and Quero 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. (1986) Alepocephalidae. p. 218-223. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
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.
Comments On Rouleina maderensis