Family IPNOPIDAE

Ipnopidae: Ipnops

© Copyright Ros Poole.

Ipnopidae: Bathypterois

© Copyright Ros Poole.

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Introduction

The Ipnopidae with some 29 species in five genera occur in slope and abyssal waters of all oceans (Merrett & Nielsen 1987; Nelson 2006). Ten species in three genera occur in Australian waters. Bathypterois oddi has been recorded from New Zealand and southern Australia (Gomon 2015), but from over 4000 m, outside the Australian region. The work of Baldwin & Johnson (1996) is followed here in recognising the group at the familial level. Some workers include Bathysauropsis in this family, but it is now placed in its own family.

Ipnopids are benthic predators. They have tiny or rudimentary eyes or lensless plates, a depressed head and usually some of the fin rays are thickened and elongate. Some of these deepsea fishes are known to use their extraordinarily elongate pelvic fins and the tail fin to prop themselves up off the bottom to seek prey, predominantly crustaceans, in the current-borne plankton. Maximum length is about 36 cm.

The tripod fishes and relatives have not been comprehensively revised recently. Nielsen (1966) revised Ipnops and related genera, and Sulak (1977) revised Bathypterois and discussed relationships. Shcherbachev (1980) reviewed the species from the Indian Ocean.

General References

Baldwin, C.C. & Johnson, G.D. 1996. Interrelationships of Aulopiformes. pp. 355-404 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 pp.

Gomon, M.F. 2015. Family Ipnopidae. pp. 562-565 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 2 pp. 1-576.

Merrett, N.R. & Nielsen, J.G. 1989. A new genus and species of the family Ipnopidae (Pisces, Teleostei) from the eastern North Atlantic, with notes on its ecology. Journal of Fish Biology 31: 451-464

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Nielsen, J.G. 1966. Synopsis of the Ipnopidae (Pisces, Iniomi) with description of two new abyssal species. Galathea Report 8: 49-75 figs 1-15 pls xiv-xvi

Shcherbachev, Y.N. 1980. Preliminary review of the Indian Ocean species of the Chlorophthalmidae (Myctophiformes, Osteichthyes). pp. 47-67 in Parin, N.V. (ed.). Fishes of the Open Ocean. Moscow : Academy of Sciences 120 pp. [in Russian]

Sulak, K.J. 1977. The systematics and biology of Bathypterois (Pisces, Chlorophthalmidae) with a revised classification of benthic myctophiform fishes. Galathea Report 14: 49-108 figs 1-32 pls 1-7

Common Name References

Paxton, J.R. & Niem, V.H. 1999. Families Aulopidae, Chlorophthalmidae, Ipnopidae, Scopelarchidae, Notosudidae. pp. 1919-1927 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. [1923] (FAO) (Tripod Fishes)

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