Image de Macrouridae

Description :

Description: Grenadier from off Angola. The features of the macrourid (rounded snout without lateral scale row ridges or terminal scale, fairly long barbel, scales on head and body, dorsal and pelvic fins with only a slightly elongated leading ray, large eye) narrow the generic choices to Coryphaenoides, Malacocephalus, or Ventrifossa. I do not know of a species of the last two genera that occurs that deeply off W. Africa. So, genus Coryphaenoides is the best bet. There are about 9 species of this genus known from off West Africa. This fish does not have the dark 'mustache' typical of C. armatus - does not look robust enough for that species, leading fin rays not elongate enough.. The record is too shallow to be C. profundicola. Color, shape, etc. not right for C. carapinus. Head shape does not look like C. guentheri, although depth range is correct. C. macrocephalus would be a good candidate, but it has long extensions of leading fin rays. That leaves C. mediterranea, C. marshalli, C. zaniophorus, and C. thelestomus.
Item Type: Image
Title: Grenadier from Angola
Species: Coryphaenoides
Behaviour: swimming
Site: Atlantic -- South Atlantic -- Block 31
Site Description: Seafloor
Depth (m): 1778
Latitude: 6 deg 13' 17" S
Longitude: 7 deg 48' 44" E
Countries: West Africa -- Angola
Rig: Seven Seas
Project Partners: Subsea 7
Deposited By: Dr Daniel Jones
Deposited On: 05 July 2011