Common Name
Southern Grenadier-hake
Year Described
Günther, 1887
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 12-13; 124
Anal Fin: 109
Pectoral Fin: 15-17
Pelvic Fin: 9-10
Gill Rakers: 3-4 + 11-13 (first arch)
Vertebrae: 19-20 + 90
Body elongate and compressed; similar to a macrourid in body shape. Rear of body strongly tapering posterior to the trunk to a threadlike tail. Head moderate (7-8 times in SL). Forehead strongly indented at level of front margin of eye. Snout squared off, short and blunt. Eye very large. Mouth large, terminal and oblique. Jaw extends beyond eye. Teeth large but sparse in both jaws (single row) and on vomer (single row). Barbels absent on chin or nostrils. Pseudobranchs present. Dorsal fin with two closely spaced lobes. Anterior lobe of dorsal fin elongated. Rest of fin longs and low. Anal fin much shorter than dorsal both in length and ray size. No anterior lobe on anal fin. Fins continuous at tip of tail. Rays of median fins simple. Pectoral fin inserts below dorsal origin and is quite long (extending to beyond anus). Pelvic fin quite short under pectoral base. Caudal fin absent. Scales cycloid and tiny. Lateral line quite straight or slightly arched.
Color
Body uniformly silvery.
Size
Maximum size to 60cm SL.
Habitat
Known from 150-700m on both continental and insular shelves and slopes.
Range
Known only from the southern Atlantic (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) and southwestern Pacific.
References
Cohen, D.M., Inada, T., Iwamoto, T. & N. Scialabba. 1990. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(10). Rome: FAO. 442 p.
Evseenko, S. A., & Suntsov, A. V. (1995). Larvae of Lyconus pinnatus (Merlucciidae) from the southwestern Pacific, with comments on the diagnostic characters of species of the genus Lyconus. Journal of Ichthyology, 35, 98-110.
Lloris, D., Matallanas, J. & P. Oliver. 2005. Hakes of the World (Family Merlucciidae): an annotated and illustrated catalogue of hake species known to date (No. 2). FAO. 59 p.