Lancetfish
Lance fish ( Alepisauridae (size: a = without, lepis = Scale, sauros = lizard ) ) worldwide, with the exception of the polar seas, in all oceans widespread predatory fish that live from the sea surface to depths of 4000 meters.
Shape
Lance fish are 23 centimeters to 2.5 meters long. Her body is slender, laterally flattened and without scales. Light organs and a swim bladder absent. The dorsal fin of the genus Alepisaurus is sail -like and extends over the greater part of the body. It is supported 29-48 fin rays and can be placed in a recess on the back. The fins are without hard jets and extremely fragile. Behind it there is a small adipose fin. In the short dorsal fin of Omosudis there are only nine to twelve fin rays. The anal fin of all three species has 12 to 18 fin rays, the pelvic fins eight to ten. The number of vertebrae is at Alepisaurus 47 to 51, 39 to 41 at Omosudis The caudal fin is forked. The concave anal fin starts under the last ray of the dorsal fin.
The mouth is deeply divided and extends to behind the eyes. Each jaw has two or three large fangs behind smaller teeth. The palatine is very long.
System
Genera and species according to Nelson ( 2006):
- Alepisaurus brevirostris ( Gibbs 1960), to 0.95 meters long, blunter snout.
- Hammer jaw fish ( Omosudis lowii )
In most sources of the genus Alepisaurus is the only one of the family of the so monotypic Alepisauridae. The American ichthyologist Joseph S. Nelson also provides the hammer jaw fish ( Omosudis lowii ) in the genus, Matthew P. Davis also the genera Anotopterus and Magnisudis that are usually associated with the Barrakudinas ( Paralepididae ). Alepisaurus and Omosudis and Anotopterus and Magnisudis are sister genera clades thus formed are in a Schwestergruppenverhälnis each other. The Alepisauridae family is assigned to the suborder Alepisauroidei and the superfamily Alepisauroidea.
The following cladogram shows the internal classification of Alepisauridae including by Anotopterus, Magnisudis and Omosudis and their position within the superfamily Alepisauroidea:
Pearl eyes ( Scopelarchidae )
Saber-toothed fish ( Evermannellidae )
Sudidae
Barrakudinas ( Paralepididae )
Anotopterus
Magnisudis
Omosudis
Alepisaurus
Fishing
There is no commercial catch of lance fish. Their flesh is watery and gelatinous. They are often caught as bycatch in fisheries targeting tunas, which is frowned upon, as this bait is lost for the valuable catch fish.