Aphyonidae

Sciadonus cryptophthalmus, drawing by Erich Zugmayer

The Blind cusk ( Aphyonidae ) are a bony fish family from the order of viscera Fishy ( Ophidiiformes ). They live with 22 species in 6 genera in all oceans, primarily in depths of more than 700 to 5000 meters.

Features

The bottom-dwelling fish are 5 to 18 centimeters long. They are scaleless, have no swim bladder and back formed eyes. The dorsal, caudal and anal fins are merged and form a continuous Flossensaum. The dorsal fin starts behind the ends of the pectoral fins. The pelvic fins are throat constantly and only consist of a fin ray, in some species they are missing also. At the top there are no sensory pores, also missing Pylorusschläuche. The sting at the gill cover, when present, are weak. The fish have 68-86 vertebrae, of which 26-24 trunk vertebrae. Some species are viviparous. Your ovary is bilobed. Some characteristics of the family are interpreted as neoten.

System

There are 22 species in six genera:

• Genus Aphyonus Aphyonus bolini Nielsen, 1974.
• Aphyonus brevidorsalis Nielsen, 1969.
• Aphyonus gelatinosus Günther, 1878.
• Aphyonus racial Nielsen, 1975.

• Barathronus affinis Brauer, 1906.
• Barathronus bicolor Goode & Bean, 1886.
• Barathronus bruuni Nielsen, 1969.
• Barathronus diaphanus Brauer, 1906.
• Barathronus maculatus Shcherbachev, 1976.
• Barathronus multidens Nielsen, 1984.
• Barathronus pacificus Nielsen & Eagle, 1974.
• Barathronus parfaiti ( Vaillant, 1888).
• Barathronus unicolor Nielsen, 1984.

• Meteoria erythrops Nielsen, 1969.

• Nybelinella brevidorsalis ( Nielsen, 1969).
• Nybelinella erik soni ( Nybelin, 1957).

• Parasciadonus brevibrachium Nielsen, 1984.
• Parasciadonus pauciradiatus Nielsen, 1997.

• Sciadonus cryptophthalmus ( Zugmayer, 1911).
• Sciadonus galatheae ( Nielsen, 1969).
• Sciadonus jonas soni ( Nybelin, 1957).
• Sciadonus pedicellaris Garman, 1899.