Chiasmodontidae

Chiasmodon niger, with swallowed prey fish

The blacks rolling ( Chiasmodontidae ) are predatory, 3 to 26 centimeters long deep sea fish which occur in all oceans.

Features

Occupied with long, but fold-down back teeth mouth and the stomach are extremely flexible, so that prey can be swallowed, which are larger than the blacks roll itself premaxilla and maxilla are elongated, slender and distally firmly fused. The premaxilla is expanded at its apex posteriorly. Also the palatine is dentate. Chiasmodontidae have two separate dorsal fins, the first is short, with seven or eight flexible hard jets, the long second dorsal fin is supported 18 to 29 segmented soft rays. The anal fin has a hard - and 17 to 29 segmented soft rays. The number of vertebrae is 33 to 48 The genus Pseudoscopelus has light organs and is sometimes placed in a separate family ( Pseudoscopelidae ).

System

The Chiasmodontidae are related to mackerel and tuna fish and are within the group of relatives perch ( Percomorpha ) assigned to the Scombriformes.

There are 4 genera and 31 species.

• Chiasmodon Johnson, 1864. Chiasmodon niger swallowed prey fish (view from above). Chiasmodon asper Melo, 2009.
• Chiasmodon braueri Weber, 1913.
• Chiasmodon harteli Melo, 2009.
• Chiasmodon microcephalus Norman, 1929.
• Chiasmodon niger Johnson, 1864.
• Chaismodon pluriradiatus Parr, 1933.
• Chiasmodon subniger Garman, 1899.

• Dysalotus alcocki MacGilchrist, 1905.
• Dysalotus oligoscolus Johnson & Cohen, 1974.

• Kali indica Lloyd, 1909.
• Kali macrodon (Norman, 1929).
• Kali macrura ( Parr, 1933).
• Kali normani ( Parr, 1931).
• Kali parri Johnson & Cohen, 1974.

• Pseudoscopelus altipinnis Parr, 1933.
• Pseudoscopelus cephalus Fowler, 1934.
• Pseudoscopelus microps Fowler, 1934.
• Pseudoscopelus obtusifrons ( Fowler, 1934).
• Pseudoscopelus sagamianus Tanaka, 1908.
• Pseudoscopelus scriptus Lütken, 1892.
• Pseudoscopelus scutatus Krefft, 1971.
• Pseudoscopelus stellatus Beebe, 1932.