Shadow driftfish (Cubiceps whiteleggii)

Scientific name: Cubiceps whiteleggii Waite, 1894

Shadow driftfish (Cubiceps whiteleggii)

The Shadow driftfish (Cubiceps whiteleggii) is a marine fish of the family Nomeidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 11 - 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17-21; Anal spines: 2 - 3; Anal soft rays: 17 - 20; Vertebrae: 31 - 32. Light to dark brown, fins dark; eye blue; young with dark band near base of tail. Body moderately elongate and compressed. Ventral profile very convex. Caudal peduncle moderately deep, compressed, lacking scutes or keels. Snout blunt, forehead slightly arched. Mouth small, terminal or slightly inferior, barely reaching beyond anterior margin of eye. Upper jaw not protractile, almost totally covered by lacrimal (preorbital) bone when mouth closed. Eye large, its diameter subequal to snout length, slightly smaller than interorbit, centered on upper half of head. Low ridge extending over eye. Jaw teeth small, in a single series. Palatine teeth more elongate, in single row. Vomerine tooth patch small. Single median row of teeth on tongue (Ref 9834).

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Cubiceps whiteleggii
Family
Nomeidae (Driftfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
21.0
Common length
15.0
Depth range
180–550 m (591–1804 ft)
Environment
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 180 - 550 m, usually 300 - 450 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: probably widely distribtuted in tropical and warm-temperate waters of the Indian Ocean (excluding the Red Sea) and from Japan to eastern Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: of potential interest
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

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

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