Family APHYONIDAE

Aphyonidae

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Introduction

Currently, six genera with about 23 species are recognised in the Aphyonidae (Nielsen et al. 1999; Eschmeyer & Fong 2011). Two species in two genera have been taken in Australian waters.

Known from all three oceans, this deepsea family is rarely collected above 700 m. Most species are bathypelagic, but a few are benthic. Stomach contents include crustacean remains. Aphyonids have a number of neotenic features associated with life in the deep sea. Scales, swim bladder and pyloric caecae are absent, the eyes are tiny, the pelvic fins are reduced to one thoracic ray, or lost, and the dorsal and anal fins are confluent. All species are viviparous, and have copulatory organs. Maximum size is 18.6 cm standard length (based on the Australian Museum specimen of Barathronas maculatus).

The aphyonids were revised by Nielsen (1969) and summarised by Cohen & Nielsen (1978). Nielsen (1984, 1999) provided a key to genera.

General References

Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Aphyonidae. pp. 575-576 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp. [575]

Cohen, D.M. & Nielsen, J.G. 1978. Guide to the identification of genera of the fish order Ophidiiformes with a tentative classification of the order. National Marine Fisheries Service (U.S.). Technical Report 417: 1-72 figs 1-103

Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fong, J.D. 2011. Species of Fishes by family/subfamily. On-line version dated dd mmm yyyy.. http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp

Gordon, D.J., Markle, D.F. & Olney, J.E. 1984. Order Ophidiiformes. pp. 308-319 in Moser, H.G. et al. (eds). Ontogeny and Systematics of Fishes. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Special Publication 1: 1-760

Nielsen, J.G. 1969. Systematics and biology of the Aphyonidae (Pisces : Ophidioidea). Galathea Report 10: 1-90 figs 1-57 pls 1-4

Nielsen, J.G. 1984. Parasciadonus brevibrachium n. gen. et sp. — an abyssal aphyonid from the central Atlantic (Pisces, Ophidiiformes). Cybium 8: 39-44

Nielsen, J.G., Cohen, D.M., Markle, D.F. & Robins, C.R. 1999. Ophidiiform Fishes of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 18. 178 pp.

Nielsen. J.G. 1999. Families Carapidae, Ophidiidae, Bythitidae, Aphionidae. pp. 1978-1985 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.

Common Name References

Nielsen. J.G. 1999. Families Carapidae, Ophidiidae, Bythitidae, Aphionidae. pp. 1978-1985 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068. [1985] (FAO) (Aphyonids)

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