| Family: |
Notacanthidae (Deep-sea spiny eels) |
| Max. size: |
60 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathypelagic; marine; depth range 777 - 4560 m |
| Distribution: |
North Pacific: Japan, Bering Sea and British Columbia, Canada (Ref. 6885), also south to Oregon, USA (Ref. 35578). South Pacific: known form one specimen collected near New Zealand. Southeast Atlantic: South Africa. Southern Ocean: known from one specimen collected near the Kerguelen Islands. Mainly antitropical (Ref. 5165) but reported from Azores, Canary Islands and Morocco (Ref. 6728). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 32-35; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Vertebrae: 242-244. Caudal fin very small; anal fin with 161-162 rays altogether, 26-35 of which are spines, long, low, confluent with caudal; pectorals with a fleshy base (Ref. 6885). Cream to faintly pink, possibly with light brown markings; black on posterior margins of anal and caudal fins; black on posterior edge of gill cover, lining of mouth and gill chamber, and parts of peritoneum (Ref. 6885). |
| Biology: |
Feeds on benthic invertebrates, especially amphipods, polychaetes and mysids (Ref. 6728). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 08 March 2012 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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