Common Name
Deep-reef Brotula
Year Described
Nielsen & Cohen, 1973
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 87-94
Anal Fin: 51-56
Pectoral Fin: 24-27
Caudal Fin: 10-13
Vertebrae: 46-47 total
Gill Rakers: 1 (developed)
Branchiostegal Rays: 8
Body short and robust. Tail tapering. Head very large. No circumorbital pores. Five pairs of mandibular pores. Mouth large. Teeth present on jaws, palatine, and vomer. Opercular spine covered in skin. Dorsal fin near mid-body. Anal fin behind dorsal origin. Dorsal and anal fins continuous with tail. Pelvic fin jugular, with one ray. Pectoral fin fanlike with a short peduncle. Body fully scaled. Head not scaled.
Color
Uniformly dark brown to blackish.
Size
Maximum size to 63mm SL.
Habitat
Hard bottoms from 786-832m.
Range
Known only from the Straits of Florida, U.S.A.
References
Cohen, D.M., Rosenblatt, R.H., & H.G. Moser. 1990. Biology and description of a bythitid fish from deep-sea thermal vents in the tropical eastern Pacific. Deep Sea Research Part A. Oceanographic Research Papers, 37(2), 267-283.
Other Notes
This species may have been filmed alive in the Florida Straits by Okeanos Explorer in 2021. The specimen is much larger than preserved material and was taken over 1100m deep.