Brotulotaenia nielseni Cohen, 1974

Family:  Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels), subfamily: Brotulotaeniinae
Max. size:  8.2 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 800 - 900 m
Distribution:  Indo-Pacific: from Japan, east to Mexico and to southeast Pacific.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 85-91; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 62-72; Vertebrae: 68-72. Scales small, non-imbricate prickles; opercle with no spine; median basibranchial tooth patch absent; gill rakers are tooth-bearing tubercles; otolith very small and rounded; precaudal vertebrae 12-15 (Ref. 34024).
Biology:  Uncommon species (Ref. 34024). Reproductive strategy possibly similar to other members of this family featuring oviparity, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 16 August 2019 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.