Family Macrouridae

Macrouridae

Taxonomy: Large family with more than 300 species in about 30 genera. More than 100 species in 27 genera known from Australian waters and new species continue to be described.

Distribution, ecology and habitat: Found in nearly every ocean, including deep ocean basins, from Arctic to Antarctic waters, although most numerous in deep tropical waters; demersal or benthopelagic, a few bathypelagic in 200-4000 m; some as deep as 6000 m; some species very wide-ranging, a few live in the deep oceanic midwaters.

Characteristics:
Body with very long tapering tail; head shape variable, protruding snout and inferior mouth in most, eyes variable, usually large, chin barbel usually present; two dorsal fins separated by distinct gap, the first high, triangular, the second long and low, extending to end of tail, continuous with well-developed anal fin; caudal fin absent, but a 'false' caudal fin may develop if tail tip nipped off; pelvic fins short-based, outermost ray often elongate, fin bases well separated, usually below pectoral-fin bases; teeth present in jaws, but absent from palate; scales usually with many spinules of various sizes and shapes, often distinctly arranged, those on head distinctly ridged and coarsely spinulated in many genera; some with spiny scute-like scales on snout tip; light organ on ventral midline between anus and pelvic fin bases often present.

Size: From about 25 cm to more than 1.5 m, most less than 50 cm.

Food and feeding: Feed on other fishes, squid and crustaceans; also known to scavenge on carrion which has drifted down from above; the few oceanic midwater species reported to feed on other midwater fishes and squid.

Reproduction and early life history: Little known of reproduction, early life history or biology. Eggs, pelagic, relatively small, 1-2 mm in diameter, smooth, spherical, oil droplet single, large, yolk homogenous. Eggs thought to be spawned near bottom in large numbers, floating upwards when released; some larvae thought to hatch near the thermocline and gradually descend towards the bottom as they develop and metamorphose. Little known of larval development; larvae elongate, gut coiled, eyes round, development gradual with no specialized pelagic juvenile stage.

Fisheries: Although reported to have watery, tasteless flesh and mostly too small and uncommon to be of commercial imortance, a few large species are commercially fished in the Atlantic and North Pacific. Many species are caught as bycatch in other fisheries and are used fresh or processed into fishmeal or fish paste.

Remarks: Many have a ventral light organ containing luminescent bacteria, function of luminescence poorly understood, but may be involved in species recognition and breeding. All except a few bathypelagic species have a swim bladder and most are benthopelagic, hovering just above the bottom, often in head-down position; most with a chin barbel used to taste and explore the substrate to help find prey; the few mesopelagic species have no chin barbel, and their watery gelatinous flesh assists their buoyancy. Many grenadiers have special drumming muscles in their gas bladders, thought to help in finding a mate.

Australian species:

References:

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. 125 vol.10, 442 pp.

Fahay, M.P. & D.F. Markle. 1984. Gadiformes: development and relationships, pp. 265-283. 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. 1990. Macrouridae, pp.192-206. In Gon, O. & P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Fishes of the southern ocean. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, South Africa, 462 pp.

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.

Iwamoto, T. & K.J. Graham. 2001. Grenadiers (Families Bathygadidae and Macrouridae, Gadiformes, Pisces) of New South Wales, Australia. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 52(21): 407-509, 114 figs.

Iwamoto, T. & N.R. Merrett. 1997. Pisces Gadiformes: Taxonomy of grenadiers of the New Caledonian region, southwest Pacific. Mem. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 176: 473-570.

Iwamoto, T. & Y.I. Sazonov. 1988. A review of the southeastern Pacific Coryphaenoides (sensu lato) (Pisces, Gadiformes, Macrouridae). Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. (4)45(3): 35-82.

Iwamoto, T. & Y.I. Sazonov. 1994. Revision of the genus Kumba (Pisces, Gadiformes, Macrouridae), with the description of three new species. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 48(11): 221-237.

Iwamoto, T. & A. Williams. 1999. Grenadiers (Pisces, Gadiformes) from the continental slope of western and northwestern Australia. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 51(3): 105-243.

Marshall, N.B. & T. Iwamoto. 1973. Family Macrouridae, pp. 496-537 In Fishes of the Western North Atlantic. Mem. Sears Found. Mar. Res. Mem. 1(6).

Merrett, N.R. & T. Iwamoto. 2000. Pisces Gadiformes: Grenadier fishes of the New Caledonian region, southwest Pacific Ocean. Taxonomy and distribution, with ecological notes. In Crosnier, R. (ed). Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, v. 21. Mem. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 184: 723-781.

Sazonov, Y. I., Y.N. Shcherbachev & T. Iwamoto. 2003. The grenadier genus Mataeocephalus Berg, 1898 (Teleostei, Gadiformes, Macrouridae), with descriptions of two new species. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 54(17): 279-301.

Sazonov, Y.I. 1981. Idiolophorhynchus andriashevi gen. et sp. n. (Osteichthyes, Macrouridae) from the Australia-New Zealand region. Zool. Zh. 60(9): 1357-1363. [In Russian, English summ.]

Sazonov, Y.I. & Y.N. Shcherbachev. 1982. A preliminary review of grenadiers related to the genus Cetonurus Günther (Gadiformes, Macrouridae). Description of new taxa related to the genera Cetonurus Günther and Kumba Marshall. Voprosy Ikhtiol. 22(5): 707-721. [In Russian. English transl. in J. Ichthyol. 22(5):1-15.]

Shcherbachev, Y.N., Y.I. Sazonov & T. Iwamoto. 1992. Synopsis of the grenadier genus Kuronezumia (Pisces: Gadiformes: Macrouridae), with description of a new species. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 48(3): 97-108. >