Cavernous Assfish, Porogadus gracilis (Günther 1878)

Summary:

A rare slender cusk eel with a long tapering tail, a long, slender somewhat depressed head, a moderately small eye, a large mouth with the upper jaw reaching far beyond the eye, and a sharp spine on the gill cover. The species is brown with a black head and abdomen.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2022, Porogadus gracilis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 19 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/5635

Cavernous Assfish, Porogadus gracilis (Günther 1878)

More Info

Distribution	Torres Strait south of Port Moresby, to the Coral Sea off Cairns, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in the Southern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific: East Africa, off Papua New Guinea, and the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. Inhabits the abyssal plain at depths of 1362-4810 m.
Features	Precaudal vertebrae 16–18, 1 (1) last vertebrae without ribs; Pectoral-fin rays 16 (16–18); D/v = 5 (5–6); D/A = 27 (26–27); V/A = 18 (18–19); Long gill rakers on lower gill arch 13-17. Body slender with long tapering tail and moderately long snout; HL:HD 1.73–2.01; opercle with sharp, extruding spine. Eye moderately small located in strongly asymmetric orbit. Maxilla extending far beyond eye, strongly widened posteriorly and with distinct supramaxilla. Infra-/postorbital and mandibular-pre-opercular pores wide, 1 pore on occiput in front of nape. Head squamation on opercle, cheeks and occiput; absent on frontal, around eyes, and on maxilla. Opercle with one or two distinct large neuromasts behind preopercular edge; opercular flap small, without ridges. Lateral line rows rarely well visible and therefore number of pores countable only in rare instances. Lower lateral line row with 23 pores until beginning of anal fin (in one specimen). Most head spines weak, present on ethmoidal, lacrimal (ridge), prefrontal, interorbital, sphenotic, outer posttemporal, inner preopercular rim; absent on supraorbital, 5th infraorbital, supratemporal, inner posttemporal, outer preopercular rim; opercular spine sharp, extruding; opercular flap small. Vomer with moderately broad dentition patch with 2–5 rows of teeth; palatines with moderately broad dentition patch 3–5 rows of teeth.
Colour	Colour in life unknown.
Remarks	The holotype was collected in 1874 from the Coral Sea east of Raine Island, Queensland, during the around the world voyage of the H. M. S. Challenger, depth 2560 m.
Etymology	The specific name is from the Latin gracilis (= slender), presumably in reference to the slender head and body of this species with the tail produced into an elongate filament.
Species Citation	Bathynectes gracilis Günther 1878, Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 5) v. 2 (nos 7/8/9)(art. 2/22/28): 21. Type locality: South of New Guinea, Challenger station 184, 12°08'S, 145°10'E, depth 1400 fathoms.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2022
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Cavernous Assfish, Porogadus gracilis (Günther 1878)

References

Günther, A. 1878. Preliminary notices of deep-sea fishes collected during the voyage of H. M. S. `Challenger.'. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 5) v. 2 (nos 7/8/9)(art. 2/22/28): 17-28, 179-187, 248-251 See ref at BHL

Günther, A. 1887. Report on the deep-sea fishes collected by H. M. S. Challenger during the years 1873-76. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H. M. S. Challenger 2(57): i-lxv + 1-268, Pls. 1-66 See ref at BHL

Nielsen, J.G., Cohen, D.M., Markle, D.F. & Robins, C.R. 1999. FAO species catalogue. Volume 18. Ophidiiform fishes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiirorm fishes known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125: i-xi + 1-178.

Schwarzhans, W. & Møller, P.R. 2021. Revision of the ‘dragon-head’ cusk eels of the genus Porogadus (Teleostei: Ophidiidae), with description of eight new species and one new genus. Zootaxa 5029(1): 1-96 https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5029.1.1

Uiblein, F., Ho, H., Everett, B., Matiku, P. & Sithole, Y. 2020. Porogadus gracilis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T141359951A141807513. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T141359951A141807513.en. Downloaded on 25 October 2021.