Unicorn crestfish

Eumecichthys fiski

Eumecichthys fiski is a band-shaped, very long marine fish of the family of Lophotidae and distant relative of the ribbon fish. He probably occurs worldwide in all oceans. Catches of the fish were taken off the coast of Florida, the South African False Bay, in Japan, Hawaii, the Pacific coast of Mexico and in India.

Features

Eumecichthys fiski can reach a body length of 150 cm. The body height at its highest point is about three percent of the standard length, the maximum body width of 1.3% of the standard length. The length from the front end of the upper jaw to the posterior end of operculum is six per cent of standard length. The head bears at its tip a horn -like, horizontally projecting rostrum, so that the total length of the head is about ten per cent of standard length. Head and body are silvery, the hull shows numerous (24 to 60) vertical bands. The elongated body extending over the entire dorsal fin is supported 310-392 fin rays and is, like the tail fin, purple colored. The dorsal fin extends forward to the front end of the "Horns ", the first fin rays are strong verlängertund form an upward-pointing " hands" on the front head end. The small anal fin has five to nine fin rays, the pectoral fins 14 and the caudal fin about 13 The fin rays of the caudal fin are much thicker than the other fins. The pseudobranch is well developed, the number of Branchiostegalstrahlen is six. Each premaxilla laterally occupied with a series of seven small, conical teeth. Sit in front with large distances from each other six to seven crooked teeth. Each half of the mandible has two irregular rows of teeth curved teeth, which also have a large distance from each other.

Eumecichthys fiski is a mesopelagic species and lives up to depths of 1000 meters.