Teleostei (teleosts) >
Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Brachionichthyidae (Handfishes)
Etymology: Pezichthys: Name from Greek 'pezo' (walking) and 'ichthys' (fish), referring to the ability of these fishes to walk on the sea floor using their hand-like pelvic fins and arm-like pectoral fins; macropinnis: Name from Greek 'makros' (large) and the Latin 'pinna' (fin), for its tall dorsal and anal fins.
More on authors: Last & Gledhill.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range ? - 145 m (Ref. 82446). Temperate
Eastern Indian Ocean: South Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 2.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 82446)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 17; Anal soft rays: 8. This species is distinct in having the following characters: small esca, 12% of illicium length (including esca); very elongate and slender illicium, without dermal spinules, about 26% SL in length, 1.9 times in head length; head length about 5.4 times snout length; long snout, length 9% SL; eye 6.9 times in head length; robust body, maximum width about 32% SL; interorbit broad, width about 15% SL; scales with subcircular bases, monospinulate or with prominent, strongly diverging bifurcate spinules (except for those closely associated with pores of the acoustico-lateralis system); spinules variable in length over body; dorsal-fin elements mostly lack spinules, membranes of fins naked; first dorsal-fin base about 18% SL; second dorsal-fin rays 15, fin base 63% SL; fin rays very elongate, longest ray of second dorsal fin about 35% SL; length of second dorsal-fin spine 0.9 times length of longest ray of second dorsal fin; anal-fin rays 8; pale body with a network of reddish streaks (Ref. 82446).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Last, P. and D.C. Gledhill, 2009. A revision of the Australian handfishes (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with descriptions of three new genera and nine new species. Zootaxa 2252:1-77. (Ref. 82446)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5313 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
