Animal Species:Bean's Bigscale, Scopelogadus beanii (Günther, 1887)
Bean's Bigscale is a deepsea pelagic fish that has deep pits on its head. Its scales are easily removed so specimens that are caught in trawl nets are often badly damaged.
A Bean's Bigscale trawled at south of Norfolk Island
Mark McGrouther
© Australian Museum
Identification
Bean's Bigscale is a moderately elongated fish with a large head that has deep mucous cavities and ridges of thin bones. It has a relatively long caudal peduncle and weakly attached cycloid scales. The scales are usually missing from fish that are caught in trawls. This leaves obvious scale pockets on the sides of the body.
Size range
The species grows to at least 12 cm in length.
Distribution
Bean's Bigscale occurs in bathypelagic waters at depths from 800 m to 4000 m. It is known from the Indo-West Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
In Australia it has been caught from off central to southern New South Wales.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
Distribution by collection data
Ozcam map of Bean's Bigscale specimens in the Australian Museums.
Classification
- Species:
- beanii
- Genus:
- Scopelogadus
- Family:
- Melamphaidae
- Order:
- Stephanoberyciformes
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum:
- Vertebrata
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
References
- Glover, C.J.M. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- Paulin, C., Stewart, A., Roberts, C. & P. McMillan. 1989. New Zealand Fishes. A Complete Guide. National Museum of New Zealand. Pp. 279.
Mark McGrouther
, Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:
Tags fishes, ichthyology, Bean's Bigscale, Scopelogadus beanii, Melamphaidae, deepsea, pelagic, deep pits on head, elongate, 10 cm - 30 cm, marine, bathypelagic,
