Family Bregmacerotidae
Taxonomy: A single genus with 14 described species; 6 species known from Australian waters.
Distribution, ecology and habitat: Pelagic or mesopelagic in tropical seas and subtropical seas worldwide; found in upper layers of most tropical seas, usually in open oceanic waters, but also close to shore, including in estuaries, or over the continental shelf. Only gadiform family limited to warm waters.
Characteristics:
Small pelagic fishes, head small, body elongate, distinctive fin pattern, first dorsal fin a single, long spine-like ray on back of head, second dorsal and anal fins long-based with short middle rays giving the fins a bilobed appearance, caudal fin separate; ventral fins jugular, very long and filamentous, chin barbel absent; scales relatively large, lateral line high on body, running along dorsal body margin.
Size: Rarely reaching 12 cm.
Food and feeding: Feed mostly on planktonic crustaceans.
Reproduction and early life history: Ecology and life history poorly known. Some species reach sexual maturity by 15 mm, most by 30 mm. Spawning pelagic, eggs relatively small (presumed 0.7-1.0 mm diameter), spherical, pelagic. Larvae pelagic at all stages and are characterized by the distinctive early-forming dorsal ray on head, which varies in size and appearance, elongate, jugular pelvic rays and heavy internal pigment over visceral mass; larvae found year-round in coastal and oceanic waters between surface and 600 m. Metamorphosis is gradual and direct.
Fisheries: Some species are locally abundant, one being commercially harvested; no commmercial catch in Australian waters.
Remarks: Adults and subadults of some species undertake long vertical migrations. Frequently thought of as oceanic, but about half known species are abundant over continental shelves or in estuaries where they complete their life cycles; adults and juveniles most common between surface and about 300 metres, inshore species usually found closer to surface than those in open ocean.
Australian species:
- Bregmaceros atlanticus Goode & Bean, 1886 Antenna Codlet CAAB 37225003
- Bregmaceros japonicus Tanaka, 1908 Japanese Codlet CAAB 37225004
- Bregmaceros mcclellandi Thompson, 1840 Unicorn Codlet CAAB 37225002
- Bregmaceros nectabanus Whitley, 1941 Australian Codlet CAAB 37225005
- Bregmaceros pseudolanceolatus Torii, Javonillo & Ozawa, 2004 False Lance Codlet CAAB 37225001
- Bregmaceros rarisquamosus Munro, 1950 Bigeye Codlet CAAB 37225006
References:
Cohen, D. M. 1984. Gadiformes: overview, pp. 259-265 In Moser H.G., W.J. Richards, D.M. Cohen, M.P. Fahay, A.W. Kendall, Jr. & S.L. Richardson (eds). Ontogeny and Systematics of Fishes. Am. Soc. Ichthyol. Herpetol. Spec. Publ. No. 1. Allen Press Inc. Lawrence, USA.
Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto & N. Scialabba. 1990. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. No. 125 10: 1-442
Hare, J.A., K.E. Marancik & M.D. Greene. 2006. Bregmacerotidae: Codlets, Unicorn Cods, pp. 583-594 In W.J. Richards (ed). Early Stages Of Atlantic Fishes: An Identification Guide For The Western Central North Atlantic. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, 2640 pp.
Houde, E. D. 1984. Bregmacerotidae: development and relationships, pp. 300-308 In Moser H.G., W.J. Richards, D.M. Cohen, M.P. Fahay, A.W. Kendall, Jr. & S.L. Richardson (eds). Ontogeny and Systematics of Fishes. Am. Soc. Ichthyol. Herpetol. Spec. Publ. No. 1. Allen Press Inc. Lawrence, USA.
Iwamoto, T. 1999. Order Gadiformes, In Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem. Species identification guide for fisheries purposes. The living marine resources of the western central Pacific. Batoid fishes, chimeras and bony fishes part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome.
Leis, J.M. & B.M. Carson-Ewart. 2000. Bregmacerotidae, pp. 115-116 In Leis, J.M. & B.M. Carson-Ewart (eds). The larvae of Indo-pacific coastal fishes : an identification guide to marine fish larvae. Fauna Malesiana handbook. Brill, Leiden. 850 pp.
Mamhot, J.R., Ozawa, T. & Y. Masuda. 1992. Occurrence and abundance of Bregmacerotid larvae in Kagoshima Bay, southern Japan, with descriptions of ontogenetic larval characters. Jpn. J. Ichthyol. 39(1): 49-58.
Torii, A., A.S. Harold & T. Ozawa. 2003. Redescription of type specimens of three Bregmaceros species (Gadiformes: Bregmacerotidae): B. bathyamster, B. rarisquamosus, and B. cayorum. Mem. Fac. Fish. Kagoshima Univ. 52: 23-32.
Torii, A., A.S. Harold, T. Ozawa & Y. Iwatsuki, 2003. Redescription of Bregmaceros mcclellandi Thompson, 1840 (Gadiformes: Bregmacerotidae). Ichthyol. Res. 50(2): 129-139.
Torii, A., R. Javonillo & T. Ozawa. 2004. Reexamination of Bregmaceros lanceolatus Shen, 1960 with description of a new species Bregmaceros pseudolanceolatus (Gadiformes: Bregmacerotidae). Ichthyol. Res. 51: 106-112.