Pitch-black Slickhead, Narcetes erimelas Alcock 1890
Other Names: Black Smoothhead
Illustration of a syntype of Narcetes erimelas. Source: Pl. 4 (fig. 1), in Alcock (1892) Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 6) v. 6 (no. 34): 295-311 / Biodiversity Heritage Library. License: CC by Attribution
Summary:
An entirely deep black slickhead with the anal fin origin far back on the body, just behind the base of the dorsal fin.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2025, Narcetes erimelas in Fishes of Australia, accessed 17 May 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/5751
Pitch-black Slickhead, Narcetes erimelas Alcock 1890
More Info
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Distribution |
NW of Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, at depths of 2058-2214 m. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin 14-17; Anal fin 11-13; Pectoral fin 9-11; Pelvic fin 8-11; Gill rakers 20-22; Longitudinal scales 68-85. Body moderately elongate & slender, compressed at rear; head 32-40% of SL, snout depressed, sharply pointed, ~30% of head length, 71-83% of eye length; eyes lateral, small, ~18.5% of head length, with triangular space in front of lens; mouth terminal, oblique, reaches past eye, ~60% of head length; maxillary bone forms 2/3 of length of top jaw; teeth small, conical, pointed, those on premaxilla hooked, in bands of 4 rows at front and 2-3 on sides, 1 row on maxillae and lower jaw; small fish with palatine teeth in a single row, and vomerine teeth in 2-3 pairs, large fish with bands of brushlike teeth on both palatine and vomer; top jaw with 2 supramaxillae; tongue present, without teeth; gill opening wide, extending up to or nearly to level of top edge of eye; gill membranes with 7-8 rays, separated from the isthmus. Fins without spines; dorsal and anal fins at rear of body, dorsal fin originating well before anal-fin origin, with longer base than anal fin; anal fin origin just behind base of dorsal fin, far back on body (snout-anal origin 77-81% SL); pectoral fin well developed, broad, low on side; pelvic fins towards rear of abdomen, ~ under origin of dorsal fin; caudal fin forked. Body covered with thin, easily shed scales; head scaleless; no swim bladder; anus about midway between insertion of pelvic fins and origin of anal fin. |
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Etymology |
The specific name is from the Greek eri ( = very) and melas (= black, dark), in reference to the deep-black coloration of this species. |
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Species Citation |
Narcetes erimelas Alcock 1890, Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 6) v. 6 (no. 34): 305. Type locality: About 75 miles west of Goa coast, Laccadive Sea, 15°02'N, 72°34'E, Investigator station 105, depth 740 fathoms. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2025 |
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Resources |
Pitch-black Slickhead, Narcetes erimelas Alcock 1890
References
Alcock, A.W. 1890. Natural history notes from H.M. Indian Marine Survey Steamer Investigator, Commander R.F. Hoskyn R.N., commanding. — No. 18. On the bathybial fishes of the Arabian Sea, obtained during season 1889–90. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 6 6(34): 295-311 See ref at BHL
Alcock, A.W. 1892. Illustrations of the zoology of the Royal Indian marine surveying steamer Investigator,...Fishes. Calcutta. Part 1: no p., Pls. 1-7. See ref at BHL
Knudsen, S. 2015. Narcetes erimelas. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T60481885A60780640. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T60481885A60780640.en. Accessed on 25 February 2025.
Sazonov, Yu. I. 1998. A brief review of the genus Narcetes (Alepocephalidae) with a description of the genus type N. erimelas. Journal of Ichthyology 38(7): 491-500.
Sazonov, Y.I. & Markle, D.F. 1999. Family Alepocephalidae. pp. 1888-1893 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.
Sazonov, Yu. I. & Williams, A. 2001. A review of the alepocephalid fishes (Argentiniformes, Alepocephalidae) continental slope of Australia. Journal of Ichthyology 41(suppl. 1): S1-S36.
