Family Microstomatidae
Taxonomy: Family with 11 genera with about 38 species, 8 genera with 9 described species known from Australian waters .
Distribution, ecology and habitat: Worldwide in all oceans from tropical to polar latitudes, most common in cooler waters; deepwater meso-, bathy-, and possibly benthopelagic fishes probably migrating vertically, some epipelagic to within 100 m of surface at night.
Characteristics:
Slender, elongate to very elongate, delicate, soft-bodied fishes, head small to moderate, eyes moderate to large, either lateral, or tubular and directed anteriorly; snout short, often blunt, much less than eye diameter, mouth small, premaxilla present, tiny teeth in lower jaw, absent from upper jaw. Single, short-based dorsal and anal fins, pectoral fins usually small, on mid-side or close to ventral edge of body, pelvic fins small, abdominal, dorsal adipose fin present or absent, caudal fin forked. Scales cycloid, deciduous, lateral line when present running straight along midline of body, extending onto tail in some. Light organs and luminous tissue absent; swim bladder absent.
Size: Reach 25 cm.
Food and feeding: Pelagic carnivores feeding on zooplankton.
Reproduction and early life history: Oviparous, eggs small, pelagic, larval development gradual to metamorphosed juvenile.
Fisheries: Of no commercial importance, but an important source of food for larger pelagic species.
Australian species:
- Bathylagichthys australis Kobyliansky, 1990 Southern Deepsea Smelt CAAB 37098003
- Bathylagichthys greyae (Cohen, 1958) Grey's Deepsea Smelt CAAB 37098004
- Bathylagoides argyrogaster (Norman, 1930) Silver Deepsea Smelt CAAB 37098001
- Bathylagus antarcticus Günther, 1878 Antarctic Deepsea Smelt CAAB 37098002
- Dolicholagus longirostris (Maul, 1948) Longsnout Deepsea Smelt CAAB 37098007
- Lipolagus ochotensis (Schmidt, 1938) Fatty Deepsea Smelt CAAB 37098006
- Melanolagus bericoides (Borodin, 1929) Bigscale Deepsea Smelt CAAB 37098005
- Microstoma microstoma (Risso, 1810) Slender Smallmouth CAAB 37097002
- Nansenia ardesiaca Jordan & Thompson, 1914 Robust Smallmouth CAAB 37097004
References:
http://access.afsc.noaa.gov/ichthyo/index.cfm - larval development
Ahlstrom, E.H., Moser, H.G. & Cohen, D.M. 1984. Argentinoidei: development and relationships. Pp. 155-169, 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.
Begle, D.P. 1992. Monophyly and relationships of argentinoid fishes. Copeia 1992(2): 350-366.
Johnson, G.D. & Patterson, C. 1996. Relationships of lower euteleostean fishes. Pp. 251-332 In Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds) Interrelationships of fishes. San Diego: Academic Press, 496 pp.
Kawaguchi, K. & Butler, J.L. 1984. Fishes of the genus Nansenia (Microstomatidae) with descriptions of seven new species. Los Angeles Co. Mus. Nat. Hist. Contrib. Sci. 352: 1-22.
Kobyliansky, S.G. 1990. Taxonomic status of microstomatid fishes and problems of classification of suborder Argentinoidei (Salmoniformes, Teleostei). Tr. Inst. Okeanol. Akad. Nauk SSSR 125: 147-177. [In Russian.]
Paxton, J.R. & D.M. Cohen. 1999. Families Argentinidae, Microstomatidae, Bathylagidae, and Opisthoproctidae. 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.