Common Name
Deepscale Smoothhead
Year Described
Alcock, 1890
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 17
Anal Fin: 14
Pectoral Fin: 11-13
Pelvic Fin: 8
Lateral Line: 48-51
Transverse Scale Rows: 48-61 (above lateral line)
Gill Rakers: 29-34 (total on first arch)
Branchiostegal Rays: 7-8
Body moderately elongate and slender, with a large head. Eye diameter 1.6-1.9 times snout length. Teeth present in a single row in upper and lower jaws. Rear margin of jaw extends to posterior margin of orbit. Two supramaxilla above maxilla. Dorsal fin origin anterior to anal fin origin. Pectoral fin fairly long; extends nearly to pelvic base. Scales absent on head, except for cheek and operculum, which is scaled. Body scales small; scales above lateral line the same size as lateral line scales.
Color
Uniformly dark brown
Size
Maximum size to around 30.6cm SL.
Habitat
Benthopelagic from 1,000-2,194m.
Range
Known from the northwestern Atlantic, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and off Brazil.
References
Carter, J.A. & Hartel, K.E. 2003. Families Argentinidae, Microstomatidae, Bathylagidae, Opisthoproctidae, Alepocephalidae, and Platytroctidae, p. 866–880. In: Carpenter, K.E. (ed.). 2003. The living marine resources of the western Central Atlantic. FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Special Publication Nº 5. Rome: FAO.
McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. 1998. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. Volume 1: Myxiniformes to Gasterosteiformes. University of Texas Press, Austin. i-viii + 1-1112.
Moore, J.A., Hartel, K.E., Craddock, J.E. & Galbraith, J.K. 2003. An annotated list of deepwater fishes from off the New England region, with new area records. Northeastern Naturalist, 10(2): 159–248.