| Family: |
Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels), subfamily: Neobythitinae |
| Max. size: |
21 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathydemersal; marine; depth range 805 - 1530 m |
| Distribution: |
Northwest Pacific: Japan and the East China Sea. |
| Diagnosis: |
This species is distinguished by the following characters: precaudal vertebrae 16-17; first gill arch with long gill rakers 18-21, broad, bladed; HL:HD 1.71-1.79; most head spines are strong: on ethmoidal, prefrontal, interorbital, supraorbital, sphenotic, supratemporal, inner and outer posttemporal, inner preopercular rim, lacrimal with ridge, and weak on outer preopercular rim, absent on 5th infraorbital; opercular spine is sharp, extruding; maxilla with single row of scales along upper margin in front of supramaxilla; the large opercular flap with ridges; lower lateral line pores until beginning of anal fin 16; narrow dentition patch on vomer with few or 1-2 (rarely 3) rows of teeth; palatines with moderately broad dentition patch (3-6 rows of teeth); otolith with single colliculum but indentation at ventral margin and rarely separate colliculi; OL:OH = 1.45-1.64; OL:TCL = 1.87-2.52 (Ref. 125143). |
| Biology: |
A benthopelagic species at bathyal depth (Ref. 56809). Uncommon species (Ref. 34024). Oviparous, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 15 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 Not for publication.
