Leptochilichthys
Leptochilichthys pinguis
Leptochilichthys ( Greek, leptos thin, cheilos = lip, ichthys = fish) is a genus of deep-sea fish belonging to the family of Black Heads ( Alepocephalidae ). It contains only three kinds, which are rare and poorly understood.
Features
The up to 31 inches long nascent species have a very stretched and edentulous upper jaw ( maxilla ), palate and mandible, however, are dentate. The gill rakers are long and numerous, a shoulder bag apparatus is missing. The head can ( at Leptochilichthys agassizii ) make up 40 % of standard length, the tongue is missing, a Suprapräoperkulum is available, as a single Supramaxillare.
There are 47-58 vertebrae and 13 Branchiostegalstrahlen. The dorsal fin is 11 - to 21 - rayed, the anal fin 11 - to 18 - rayed, the pectoral fins 7 - to 16 -beam, and the pelvic fins 6 - to 11 -beam.
Dissemination and lifestyle
The fish live in the eastern Atlantic, the Western Indian Ocean and the eastern and western Pacific, usually in the deep ocean below 1000 meters. They are rare. A brood care does not take place.
System
The genus was first described in 1899 by Samuel Garman and originally included among the subordination Alepocephaloidei, Norman Bertram Marshall she put 1966 in its own family. Sazonov and Williams they made back in 2001, followed by Nelson, who leads them in 2006 as part of Black Heads ( Alepocephalidae ), a family of Alepocephaloidei.
The genus contains three species:
- Leptochilichthys agassizii
- Leptochilichthys microlepis
- Leptochilichthys pinguis