ANIMAL SPECIES:A deepsea coffinfish, Chaunacops melanostomus (Caruso, 1989)
C. melanostomus has a flabby body and long tail that are both covered with small spines. It has a black mouth lining and an illicium on the snout that can be lowered into a groove.
Identification
C. melanostomus has a flabby body and long tail that are both covered with small spines. It has a black mouth lining and an illicium on the snout that can be lowered into a groove.
The name melanostomus comes from the Greek melanos meaning black and stoma meaning mouth.
There are two genera in the family Chaunacidae; Chaunacops and Chaunax. Chaunacops differs from Chaunax by having a lower lateral line count, longer ilicium, a wider head, more widely spaced body spines and several skeletal characters.
Size range
The species grows to at least 10 cm in length.Distribution
C. melanostomus has been trawled in the Central to Eastern Indian Ocean at depths ranging from 1320 m to 1760 m.
Distribution by collection data
Biomaps map of Deepsea Coffinfish specimens in the Australian Museum collection.
Classification
- Species:
- melanostomus
- Genus:
- Chaunacops
- Family:
- Chaunacidae
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum:
- Vertebrata
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
References
- Bertelsen, E in Paxton, J.R. & W.N. Eschmeyer (Eds). 1994. Encyclopedia of Fishes. Sydney: New South Wales University Press; San Diego: Academic Press [1995]. Pp. 240.
- Caruso, J.H. 1989. A review of the Indo-Pacific members of the deep-water chaunacid anglerfish genus Bathychaunax, with the description of a new species from the eastern Indian Ocean (Pisces: Lophiiformes). Bulletin of Marine Science. 45:574-579.
- Caruso, J.H., Ho, H-C. & T.W. Pietsch. 2006. Chaunacops Garman, 1899, a senior objective synonym of Bathychaunax Caruso, 1989 (Lophiiformes: Chaunacoidei: Chaunacidae). Copeia. 1: 120-121.
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A 7 cm female (upper) and a 6 cm male Deepsea Coffinfish View full size
Mark McGrouther
© Australian Museum
Heads of A male (left) and female Deepsea Coffinfish View full size
Mark McGrouther
© Australian Museum
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