Bathylaconidae

Bathylaco nigricans

The Bathylaconidae are a family of genuine bony fish ( Teleostei ). 29 to 40 centimeters long expectant fish live in all tropical and temperate oceans at depths of 450-4300 meters.

Features

The body of the animal is covered with large cycloid scales. The upper jaw bone (maxilla ) extends far beyond the eye, the Prämaxillaria (small bone in the anterior maxilla) are very small. The pectoral fins have four to eleven ( at Herwigia more) fin rays. In the mouth they have seven to ten gill rakers. The top is a part of the operculum.

System

The genera of the family were formerly ( perhaps rightly) considered one of the Alepocephalidae. The family no longer as monophyletic is now in any case and should therefore, as ever, the internal classification of Alepocephaliformes, not on a permanent inventory. However, here the list of counted to Bathylaconidae four types into two classes, one of which is mono- typical:

• Bathylaco Goode & Bean, 1896 Bathylaco macrophthalmus Nielsen & Larsen, 1968.
• Bathylaco nielseni Sazonov & Ivanov, 1980.
• Bathylaco nigricans Goode & Bean, 1896.

• Herwigia kreffti ( Nielsen & Larsen, 1970).