Common Name
Gunther's Halosaur
Year Described
Goode & Bean, 1896
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 11 (rarely 10)
Anal Fin: 158-209
Pectoral Fin: I, 13-16
Pelvic Fin: I, 9 (sometimes 8 or 10)
Lateral Line Scales: 23-31 (to pelvic), 57-68 (to anus)
Branchiostegal Rays: 11-14
Gill Rakers: 11-13 (total on first arch)
Pyloric Caeca: 7-12
Body very elongate and cylindrical to compressed. Scales present on top of head and opercle. Pterygoid and palatine tooth patch about equal in size. Lateral line scales similar in size to the body scales. Scales above lateral line number 13-17. Scales around belly usually 11 (9-13). First dorsal fin ray long, unbranched, and segmented.
Color
Grayish-white to pale tan, with a reticulated pattern on the body formed by darkened posterior scale margins. Dorsal fin unpigmented. Anal fin pale anteriorly, grading to dark posteriorly. Interior of mouth all black. Pyloric caeca are also black.
Size
Maximum size to 60cm TL.
Habitat
Benthic from 550-1,600m.
Range
Scattered records from New York to Venezuela, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
References
McDowell, S.B. In: Cohen, D.M., N.B. Marshall, A.W. Ebeling, D.E. Rosen, T. Iwamoto, P. Sonoda, S.B. McDowell, W.H. Weed III, and L.P. Woods. 1973. Fishes of the Western North Atlantic. Part 6. Hereromi, Cyprinodontoidei, Berycomorphi, Xenoberyces, Anacanthini. Memoir No. 1. Sears Foundation for Marine Research; Yale University, New Haven, CT. 698 pp., 235 plates.