Family Lophotidae
Taxonomy: Very small family with 2 genera and 2 or 3 recognised species; 2 genera and 2 species in Australian waters.
Distribution, ecology and habitat: cosmopolitan in most oceans; mesopelagic
Characteristics:
Body elongate, compressed, front of head with large, fleshy crest bearing an elongate spine which supprts anterior dorsal-fin rays, including an elongate second ray; mouth small, protrusible, jaws and vomer with small, conical teeth. Dorsal fin long, extending to caudal fin, anal fin small to minute, pectoral fins moderate with horizontal base, pelvic fins minute or absent just behind pectoral-fin base, caudal fin reduced. Lateral line with tubular scales. Ink sac present as a tubular gland overlying the hindgut; gland releases a black ink-like fluid through opeing near anus.
Size: Reach 2 m in length.
Food and feeding: Feed on squid and small fishes.
Reproduction and early life history: Little known of reproduction. Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae. Eggs of one species 2.48 - 2.64 mm, without an oil globule. At hatching, larvae have well-developed, protrusible jaws, pigmented eyes and functional differentiated guts, an elaborate, long anterior dorsal filament behind the head and well-developed pelvic fin elements. The dorsal crest or horn elongates considerably during larval development. Larvae are highly pigmented at all growth stages.
Fisheries: of no commercial importance.
Remarks: Black inky fluid is released, presumably for protection against predators, from an opening near the anus when the fish is alarmed.
Australian species:
- Eumecichthys fiski (Günther, 1890) Unicorn Crestfish CAAB 37270002
- Lophotus guntheri Johnston, 1883 Crested Bandfish CAAB 37270001
References:
Craig, M.T., P.A. Hastings & D.J. Pondella, II. 2004. Notes on the systematics of the crestfish genus Lophotus (Lampridiformes: Lophotidae), with a new record from California. Bull. South. Calif. Acad. Sci. 103(2): 57–65.
Charter, S.R. & H.G. Moser. 1996. Lampridiformes, Lophotidae, Radiicephalidae, Trachipteridae. In, The early stages of fishes in the California current region. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations Atlas No. 33, pp. 659-677.
Heemstra, P.C. & S.X. Kannemeyer. 1984. The families Trachipteridae and Radiicephalidae (Pisces, Lampriformes) and a new species of Zu from South Africa. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 94: 13-39.
Moser, H.G. (ed.) 1996. The Early Stages of Fishes in the California Current Region. CalCOFI Atlas No. 33 Ed. Allen Press Inc, Lawrence, Kansas. 1505 pp.
Oelschläger, H.A. 1979. Zur funktionellen Osteologie der Lophotidae (Pisces: Teleostei). Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Anat. 102: 336–60.
Okiyama, M (ed.) 1988. An Atlas of the Early Stage Fishes in Japan. Tokai University Press, Tokyo. 1154 pp. [in Japanese]
Olney, J.E. 1984. Lampridiformes: development and relationships. Pp. 368-379, 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. Spec. Publ. No. 1, Amer. Soc. Ichthy. Herpet., ix + 760 pp.
Olney, J.E. 1999. Lophotidae: Crestfishes (unicornfishes), p. 1970-1971. 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.
Olney, J.E., G.D. Johnson & C.C. Baldwin. 1993. Phylogeny of lampridiform fishes. Bull. Mar. Sci. 52:137-169.
Olney, J.E. & A. Naplin. 1980. Eggs of the Scalloped Ribbonfish, Zu cristatus, (Pisces: Trachipteridae) in the Western North Atlantic. Copeia 1980(1): 165-166.