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Gonostomatidae

(Family)

Overview

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Gonostomatidae is a family of deep-water marine fish, commonly named bristlemouths, lightfishes or anglemouths. It is a relatively small family, containing only eight known genera and 32 species. However, bristlemouths make up for their lack of diversity with numbers: Cyclothone, with 12 species, is thought to be (along with Vinciguerria), the most abundant vertebrate genus in the world.

The fossil record of this family dates back to the Miocene epoch, and was discovered by in 1958. The fish are mostly found in the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, although the species Cyclothone microdon may be found in Arctic waters. They have elongated bodies from 2 centimetres (0.79 in) to 30 centimetres (12 in) in length.1] They have a number of green or red light-producing photophores aligned along the undersides of their heads or bodies. Their chief common name, bristlemouth, comes from their odd equally-sized and bristle-like teeth. Due to the depth in which they live, where very little light penetrates, the fish is typically colored black so as to hide from prey.

Species

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Some classifications include the genera Pollichthys and Vinciguerria, but this article follows FishBase in placing them in the family Phosichthyidae.

Some classifications include species in the genus Zaphotias, but these are junior synonyms of the species Bonapartia pedaliota.

ecies, is thought to be (along with Vinciguerria), the most abundant vertebrate genus in the world.

The fossil record of this family dates back to the Miocene epoch, and was discovered by in 1958. The fish are mostly found in the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, although the species Cyclothone microdon may be found in Arctic waters. They have elongated bodies from 2 centimetres (0.79 in) to 30 centimetres (12 in) in length.1] They have a number of green or red light-producing photophores aligned along the undersides of their heads or bodies. Their chief common name, bristlemouth, comes from their odd equally-sized and bristle-like teeth. Due to the depth in which they live, where very little light penetrates, the fish is typically colored black so as to hide from prey.

Species

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Some classifications include the genera Pollichthys and Vinciguerria, but this article follows FishBase in placing them in the family Phosichthyidae.

Some classifications include species in the genus Zaphotias, but these are junior synonyms of the species Bonapartia pedaliota.

  • Genus Bonapartia
    • Bonapartia pedaliota Goode & Bean, 1896.
  • Genus Cyclothone
    • Benttooth bristlemouth, Cyclothone acclinidens Garman, 1899.
    • Cyclothone alba Brauer, 1906.
    • Deep-water bristlemouth, Cyclothone atraria Gilbert, 1905.
    • Garrick, Cyclothone braueri Jespersen & T?ning, 1926.
    • Cyclothone kobayashii Miya, 1994.
    • Cyclothone livida Brauer, 1902.
    • Veiled anglemouth, Cyclothone microdon (G?nther, 1878).
      Veiled anglemouth, Cyclothone microdon
    • Cyclothone obscura Brauer, 1902.
    • Yellow bristlemouth, Cyclothone pacifica Mukhacheva, 1964.
    • Tan bristlemouth, Cyclothone pallida Brauer, 1902.
    • Cyclothone parapallida Badcock, 1982.
    • Slender bristlemouth, Cyclothone pseudopallida Mukhacheva, 1964.
    • Cyclothone pygmaea Jespersen & T?ning, 1926.
    • Showy bristlemouth, Cyclothone signata Garman, 1899.
  • Genus Diplophos
    • Diplophos australis Ozawa, Oda & Ida, 1990.
    • Diplophos orientalis Matsubara, 1940.
    • Diplophos pacificus (Mukhacheva, 1964).
    • Diplophos rebainsi Krefft & Parin, 1972.
    • Pacific portholefish, Diplophos taenia G?nther, 1873.
      Pacific portholefish, Diplophos taenia
  • Genus Gonostoma
    • Atlantic fangjaw, Gonostoma atlanticum Norman, 1930.
    • Gonostoma bathyphilum (Vaillant, 1884).
      Gonostoma bathyphilum
    • Gonostoma denudatum Rafinesque, 1810.
      Gonostoma denudatum
    • Elongated bristlemouth, Gonostoma elongatum G?nther, 1878.
    • Gonostoma longipinnis Mukhacheva, 1972.
  • Genus Margrethia
    • Margrethia obtusirostra Jespersen & T?ning, 1919.
    • Margrethia valentinae Parin, 1982.
  • Genus Manducus
    • Manducus greyae (Johnson, 1970).
    • Manducus maderensis (Johnson, 1890).
  • Genus Sigmops
    • Ebeling's fangjaw, Sigmops ebelingi (Grey, 1960).
    • Slender fangjaw, Sigmops gracilis (G?nther, 1878).
  • Genus Triplophos
    • Triplophos hemingi (McArdle, 1901).

References

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  1. ^ Fink, William L. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 121. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
  • Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Gonostomatidae" in FishBase. January 2006 version.

Taxonomy

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The Family Gonostomatidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Bonapartia

[more]

Cyclothone

[more]

Diplophos

[more]

Gonostoma

[more]

Manducus

[more]

Margrethia

[more]

Neostoma

[more]

Sigmops

[more]

Triplophos

[more]

Vinciguerrid

[more]

More info about the Genus Vinciguerrid may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ Fink, William L. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 121. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:32:50