- Classification
- ACTINOPTERYGII
- GADIFORMES
- MACROURIDAE
- Squalogadus
- modificatus
Tadpole Whiptail, Squalogadus modificatus Gilbert & Hubbs 1916
Other Names: Balloonhead Rattail
Tadpole Whiptail, Squalogadus modificatus. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Summary:
A dark brown grenadier, becoming blackish around the gill openings, with the inside of the mouth and gill cover black. The species has a massive inflated head, tiny eyes, a continuous dorsal fin, small pelvic fins, and no chin barbel.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2022, Squalogadus modificatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 19 Jan 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/1704
Tadpole Whiptail, Squalogadus modificatus Gilbert & Hubbs 1916
More Info
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Distribution |
NW of Mandurah to west of Barrow Island, Western Australia, and on the Queensland Plateau in the Coral Sea, E of Townsville; also the Lord Howe Plateau and Norfolk Ridge in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the tropical and temperate, Atlantic-Indo-west-central Pacific. Inhabits seamounts, ridges and rises, at mid-water and benthopelagic levels. |
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Features |
Pelvic fin 5, rays tiny; Branchiostegal rays 7. Head massive, inflated, with rounded corners; head fully scaled, mandibular band narrow. Orbit tiny, about 10% of head length, placed forward of small, inferior mouth. Chin barbel absent. Opercular cavity large, operculum extending well beyond gills; first gill slit not restricted by membranous folds of skin, outer gill rakers numerous (20), long, slender. Jaws relatively short; markedly inferior. Anus immediately before anal fin. One continuous dorsal fin, anterior section not elevated. Pelvic fins small, with five rays. Tail strap-like. Anal fin long, poorly developed. No light organ. Swim bladder regressed. |
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Feeding |
Feeds mostly on pelagic copepods, and also on pelagic mysids, shrimps, cephalopods, fishes, polychaetes and gastropods. |
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Etymology |
The specific name modificatus possibly refers to the extremely modified bulbous head of this species. |
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Species Citation |
Squalogadus modificatus Gilbert & Hubbs 1916, Proc. U. S. Natl Mus. 51(2149): 156. Type locality: Bungo Channel, 32°32'N, 132°25'E, off Kyushu, Japan, Albatross station 4956, depth 720 fathoms. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2022 |
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Resources |
Tadpole Whiptail, Squalogadus modificatus Gilbert & Hubbs 1916
References
Gilbert, C.H. & Hubbs, C.L. 1916. Report on the Japanese macruroid fishes collected by the United States Fisheries steamer "Albatross" in 1906, with a synopsis of the genera. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 51(2149): 135-214.
Iwamoto, T. 1999. Families Macrouridae, Bathylagidae, Moridae, Bregmacerotidae. pp. 1986-1998 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds) The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.
Iwamoto, T. 2015. Squalogadus modificatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T190237A15603025. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T190237A15603025.en. Accessed on 16 August 2022.
Iwamoto, T., Nakayama, N., Shao, K.-T. & Ho, H.-C. 2015. Synopsis of the Grenadier fishes (Gadiformes; Teleostei) of Taiwan. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Series 4) 62(3): 31-126. See ref at BHL
Iwamoto, T. & Williams, A. 1999. Grenadiers (Pisces, Gadiformes) from the continental slope of western and northwestern Australia. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 51(3): 105-243 figs 1-58 See ref at BHL
McMillan, P. J. & Iwamoto, T. 2015. Family Macrouridae. pp. 747-827 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 3 pp. 577-1152.
