Eyelash handfish (Pezichthys nigrocilium)

Scientific name: Pezichthys nigrocilium Last & Gledhill, 2009

The Eyelash handfish (Pezichthys nigrocilium) is a marine fish of the family Brachionichthyidae. Native range: Eastern Indian Ocean, Tasmania, Australia.

Biology

Dorsal soft rays (total): 17; Anal soft rays: 8. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: small esca, 11% of illicium length (including esca); short, very slender illicium, without dermal spinules, its length about 16% SL, 3.5 times in head length; head length about 9 times snout length; short snout, length 6% SL; eye large, 5.6 times in head length; narrow body, maximum width 19% SL; interorbital width narrow, about 5% SL; scale bases subcircular with prominent, strongly divergent, bifurcate spinules (except for those closely associated with pores of the acoustico-lateralis system); spinules variable in length over body; dorsal-fin elements covered with spinules, outer fin membranes naked; first dorsal-fin base short, length 15% SL; second dorsal-fin rays 15, fin base about 57% SL; length of second dorsal-fin spine 1.4 times length of longest ray of second dorsal fin; anal-fin rays 8; body is predominantly pale pink with prominent eyelash-like ma

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Pezichthys nigrocilium
Family
Brachionichthyidae (Handfishes)
Order
Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
4.1
Environment
Marine; demersal
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Eastern Indian Ocean: Tasmania, Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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