Smallmouth spiny eel

Smallmouth spiny eel
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Notacanthiformes
Family:	Notacanthidae
Genus:	Polyacanthonotus
Species:	P. rissoanus
Binomial name
Polyacanthonotus rissoanus (De Filippi & Vérany, 1857)
Synonyms[2]
Macdonaldia rostrata Collett, 1889 Notacanthus rissoanus De Filippi & Verany, 1857 Notacanthus rostratus Collett, 1889 Paradoxichthys garibaldianus Giglioli, 1882 Polyacanthonotus rostratus Collett, 1889

The smallmouth spiny eel (Polyacanthonotus rissoanus), also called the shortspine tapirfish,[3] is a species of deep-sea spiny eel.[4][5][6]

Description

The smallmouth spiny eel is silver or brown in colour, with a maximum length of 36 cm (14 in). It has 26–36 dorsal soft rays. It looks similar to Polyacanthonotus africanus but its lateral line is lighter and less distinct. It has a small mouth and a short preoral snout. Mature males are distinguished by their black nostrils.[7]

Habitat

The smallmouth spiny eel lives in the Arctic waters off of Canada and in the North Atlantic Ocean off of Iceland, Ireland and Great Britain; it has also been observed in the waters off South Africa and in the Tasman Sea.[8][9] It is a benthic and bathydemersal species, living at depths of 500–2,800 m (1,600–9,200 ft).[10][11][12]

Behaviour

Polyacanthonotus rissoanus feeds on coelenterates, worms and crustaceans.[13]

References

1. Smith-Vaniz (??), William F.; Juan Gil Herrera (Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Cádiz) (March 13, 2014). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Polyacanthonotus rissoanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
2. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Polyacanthonotus rissoanus (De Filippi & Verany, 1857)". www.marinespecies.org.
3. Leim, Alexander Henry; Scott, William Beverley (July 5, 1966). "Fishes of the Atlantic Coast of Canada". Fisheries Research Board of Canada – via Google Books.
4. "Polyacanthonotus rissoanus (De Filippi & Verany 1857) - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org.
5. Cohen, Daniel M.; Ebeling, Alfred W.; Iwamoto, Tomio; McDowell, Samuel B.; Marshall, N. B.; Rosen, Donn E.; Sonoda, Pearl; III, Walter H. Weed; Woods, Loren P. (October 23, 2018). Orders Heteromi (Notacanthiformes), Berycomorphi (Beryciformes), Xenoberyces (Stephanoberyciformes), Anacanthini (Gadiformes): Part 6. Yale University Press. ISBN 9781933789163 – via Google Books.
6. "Israel Journal of Zoology". Weizmann Science Press of Israel. July 5, 1997 – via Google Books.
7. "Marine Species Identification Portal : Smallmouth spiny eel - Polyacanthonotus rissoanus". species-identification.org.
8. "Polyacanthonotus rissoanus (De Filippi & Verany, 1857)". www.gbif.org.
9. "Figure 183. Records of Polyacanthonotus rissoanus (Shortspine..." ResearchGate.
10. Smith, Margaret M.; Heemstra, Phillip C. (December 6, 2012). Smiths' Sea Fishes. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9783642828584 – via Google Books.
11. "Polyacanthonotus rissoanus". fishesofaustralia.net.au.
12. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Polyacanthonotus rissoanus (De Filippi & Verany, 1857)". www.marinespecies.org.
13. "Polyacanthonotus rissoanus, Smallmouth spiny eel". www.fishbase.se.