TY - JOUR
T1 - First in situ observation of an aphyonid fish (Teleostei, Ophidiiformes, Bythitidae)
AU - Mundy, Bruce C.
AU - Gerringer, Mackenzie E.
AU - Nielsen, Jørgen
AU - Fryer, Patricia
AU - Leitner, Astrid
PY - 2018/4
Y1 - 2018/4
N2 - Aphyonids are poorly-known, live-bearing brotulas (Ophidiiformes, Bythitidae) that until recently were considered to be in a distinct family, Aphyonidae. A single, ca. 9.3 cm total length aphyonid observed during a remotely-operated vehicle survey in the Mariana Archipelago at 2504.2 m on Explorer Ridge (20.68152°N, 145.08750°E) is the first seen alive in its natural habitat. Collection to verify its identification was not possible, but based on observations it was a species of either Barathronus or Nybelinella. The fish swam 1–10 cm over sediment between rocks and small boulders on a 45° talus slope. Swimming speeds were consistently slow, 0.33 ± 0.15 body lengths per second, and the fish appeared to be neutrally buoyant. Although there are few other records of aphyonid-clade fishes in the Pacific away from continental margins, this observation suggests that they will be found elsewhere in the basin when appropriate methods are used to detect these small fishes in the high-relief, rugose habitats of central Pacific oceanic islands and seamounts.
AB - Aphyonids are poorly-known, live-bearing brotulas (Ophidiiformes, Bythitidae) that until recently were considered to be in a distinct family, Aphyonidae. A single, ca. 9.3 cm total length aphyonid observed during a remotely-operated vehicle survey in the Mariana Archipelago at 2504.2 m on Explorer Ridge (20.68152°N, 145.08750°E) is the first seen alive in its natural habitat. Collection to verify its identification was not possible, but based on observations it was a species of either Barathronus or Nybelinella. The fish swam 1–10 cm over sediment between rocks and small boulders on a 45° talus slope. Swimming speeds were consistently slow, 0.33 ± 0.15 body lengths per second, and the fish appeared to be neutrally buoyant. Although there are few other records of aphyonid-clade fishes in the Pacific away from continental margins, this observation suggests that they will be found elsewhere in the basin when appropriate methods are used to detect these small fishes in the high-relief, rugose habitats of central Pacific oceanic islands and seamounts.
U2 - 10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.09.009
DO - 10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.09.009
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0967-0645
VL - 150
SP - 164
EP - 169
JO - Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
JF - Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
ER -