Topic
Spectrunculus
About: Spectrunculus is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3 publications have been published within this topic receiving 20 citations.
Papers
TL;DR: The systematics of the abyssal giant cusk-eel genus Spectrunculus was revised, based on the examination of 55 specimens recently collected from the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge and 32 specimens from earlier collections in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, to allow the distinction between two species, requiring the resurrection of S. crassus.
Abstract: The systematics of the abyssal giant cusk-eel genus Spectrunculus was revised, based on the examination of 55 specimens recently collected from the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge and 32 specimens from earlier collections in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The conclusion of Nielsen and Hureau that only one sexually dimorphic species, S. grandis, exists, is rejected. The examination of meristics, external and internal morphometric characters, and body coloration allows the distinction between two species, requiring the resurrection of S. crassus. The major diagnostic characters are: number of dorsal-fin rays (135–148 in S. grandis vs. 121–139 in S. crassus), anal-fin rays (101–112 vs. 91–102), total vertebrae (77–88 vs. 71–78), otolith ostium depth in percentage of sulcus length (19–29% vs. 30–40%), and maximum standard length (<130 cm vs. <60 cm). In the North Atlantic S. crassus is most often darker than S. grandis, but because many exceptions exist, coloration proved an unreliable diagnostic chara...
17 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a rich otolith assemblage obtained from fifteen early Miocene outcrop locations along the Chilean coast from about 33°S to about 45°S.
Abstract: Few fossil fish otolith associations have been described from the Pacific side of the Americas and, except for a single species (Steindachneria svennielseni), none have been described from Pacific South America south of the Central American tropical region. Here, we describe a rich otolith assemblage obtained from fifteen early Miocene outcrop locations along the Chilean coast from about 33°S to about 45°S. More than 2,000 specimens were studied resulting in the recognition of 67 species, with 27 being new to science. This assemblage represents an important new data point distant from any previously known otolith-based fish fauna, with the nearest coeval associations being from the Caribbean Province in Venezuela, which lies about 5000 km to the north, and New Zealand, which is about 9000 km to the west. The fauna represents a mixture of offshore and shallow water fishes and is rich in myctophids, paralichthyids (Citharichthys), ophidiids (Lepophidium), steindachneriids, and macrourids. Typical tropical American fishes are nearly completely absent, with the exception of Steindachneria and certain anguilliforms. The mesopelagic faunal component, chiefly Myctophidae, shows a striking resemblance to the well-known coeval fish fauna from New Zealand, and both are interpreted as representing an early South Pacific mesopelagic bioprovince. The strong correlation with the mesopelagic otolith-based fish fauna from New Zealand constricts the time interval of the sampled sediments to the middle Burdigalian (approximately 17.5 to 18.5 Ma). All otoliths obtained from the early Miocene of Chile relate to extant fish groups of the area and few exotic components not currently present in the East Pacific. The sole exception is a morpho-type described as Navidadichthys which has an unresolved relationship, possibly with the Prototroctidae, a family that is today endemic to the freshwater and nearshore marine environments of Australia and New Zealand. The new taxa are in the sequence of taxonomic description: Pterothrissus transpacificus n. sp., Pythonichthys panulus n. sp., Chiloconger chilensis n. sp., Gnathophis quinzoi n.sp., Rhynchoconger chiloensis n. sp., Navidadichthys mirus n. gen. et n. sp., Maurolicus brevirostris n. sp., Polyipnus bandeli n. sp., Lampanyctus ipunensis n. sp., Physiculus pichi n. sp., Coelorinchus fidelis n. sp., Coelorinchus rapelanus n. sp., Nezumia epuge n. sp., Paracarapus chilensis n. gen. et n. sp., Lepophidium chonorum n. sp., Lepophidium mapucheorum n. sp., Sirembola supersa n. sp., Spectrunculus sparsus n. sp., Pseudonus humilis n. sp., Capromimus undulatus n. sp., Agonopsis cume n. sp., Cottunculus primaevus n. sp., Kuhlia orientalis n. sp., Citharichthys parvisulcus n. sp., Citharichthys vergens n. sp., Achirus australis n. sp., Achirus chungkuz n. sp.
11 citations
TL;DR: The number of cusk-eels and brotulas in British Columbia is understood to be 9 species, with a single specimen of S. crassus identified from among the few S. grandis held at the Royal British Columbia Museum.
Abstract: Cusk-eels and brotulas of British Columbia have been poorly studied, and until now, there were published records of only Spectrunculus grandis and Brosmophycis marginata from our waters. However, a single specimen of S. crassus has been identified from among the few S. grandis from British Columbia held at the Royal British Columbia Museum. Furthermore, increased sampling effort from deep-water surveys, shrimp surveys, and the commercial fishery revealed 5 additional cusk-eel species and 1 brotula offshore of British Columbia. Two specimens of Chilara taylori were collected from the southern Strait of Georgia at depths of 78 to 109 m. A single specimen of Acanthonus armatus was taken from near Triangle Island at 1778 m and is the 1st record for the eastern North Pacific Ocean. One specimen of Cherublemma emmelas was found at 1097 m in Kyuquot Canyon, west of Vancouver Island; 4 specimens of Bassozetus zenkevitchi were collected from depths of 1909 to 2125 m west of Vancouver and Graham islands; a...
8 citations
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Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1 |