Family Parabrotulidae
Taxonomy: Two genera with three species recognised worldwide; a single species known form Australian waters.
Distribution, ecology and habitat: Scattered worldwide in deep tropical and temperate waters of the three major oceans; meso- and bathypelagic on continental slope in 60-3000 metres (aust - 950 m) - majority of specimens captured near bottom in opening & closing nets; one species undergoes vertical migrations (nielsen et al, 1990)
Characteristics:
Body eel-like, laterally compressed postriorly; head small, mouth small, lower jaw protruding beyond upper, teeth in jaws present or absent. Dorsal and anal fins similar, continuous with caudal fin; dorsal-fin origin about midbody, well behind origin of small pectoral fins; anal-fin origin somewhat posterior, behind anus; pelvic fins absent. Scales absent, skin smooth, loose, lateral line with minute papillae, sensory pores absent from head. Males and females with copulatory organs.
Size: To 6 cm.
Food and feeding: Feed on small crustaceans, primarily mesopelagic copepods.
Reproduction and early life history: Little known. Ovoviviparous, males with an intromittant organ for internal fertilization. Ovaries are bilobed and females produce few well-developed young.
Fisheries: none
Australian species:
- Parabrotula plagiophthalmus Zugmayer, 1911 False Cusk CAAB 37228044
References:
Anderson, M.E. 1986. Order Zoarciformes, pp. 342-343 In Smith, M.M. & P.C. Heemstra (eds). Smiths's Sea Fishes. Johannesburg : MacMillan South Africa. 1047 pp.
Miya, M. & J. Nielsen. 1991. A new species of the deep-sea fish genus Parabrotula (Parabrotulidae) from Sagami Bay with notes on its ecology. Jpn. J. Ichthyol. 38(1): 1-5.
Nielsen, J., J. Badcock & N.R. Merrett. 1990. New data elucidating the taxonomy and ecology of the Parabrotulidae (Pisces: Zoarcoidei). J. Fish Biol 37(3): 437-448.
Nielsen, J.G., D.M. Cohen, D.F. Markle & C.R. Robins. 1999. FAO species catalogue. Volume 18. Ophidiiform fishes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. No. 125, 178 pp.