- Classification
- ACTINOPTERYGII
- LOPHIIFORMES
- CHAUNACIDAE
- Chaunax
- penicillatus
Pencil Coffinfish, Chaunax penicillatus McCulloch 1915
Other Names: Fluffylure Frogmouth
Pencil Coffinfish, Chaunax penicillatus. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial
Summary:
An orange to reddish coffinfish with yellow vermiculations and some deep reddish saddle-like bands on the back. The illicium is very short and retracts into within a black, very deep illicial trough. The esca has many stout black cirri above and white cirri below.
The Pencil Coffinfish is the most widely-distributed species of Chaunax in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Pencil Coffinfish is the most widely-distributed species of Chaunax in the Indo-Pacific region.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2023, Chaunax penicillatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 11 Sep 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3580
Pencil Coffinfish, Chaunax penicillatus McCulloch 1915
More Info
Distribution |
West of Bernier Island to south of Scott Reef, Western Australia, and the Torres Strait, Queensland, to east of Maria Island, Tasmania. Elsewhere, the species is widespread in the Indo-west Pacific: East Africa and Madagascar east to French Polynesia, north to southern Japan, south to New Zealand Kermadec Islands and Chatham Rise). |
Features |
Dorsal-fin rays III, 11–12 (modally 12); anal-fin rays 6–7 (7); pectoral-fin rays 11–13. A species in the C. pictus-species group with a black and very deep illicial trough, an extremely short illicium and esca with numerous stout black (anterior face) and white (posterior face) cirri. Gill rakers: GRi = 13–14 (3–4 + 9–10); GRii = 8–10; GRiii = 8–11; GRiv = 7–8. |
Conservation |
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Etymology |
The specific name is from the Latin penicillatus (= brush-like), presumably in reference to the 'rostral tentacles' (illicium and esca) of the type specimens, described by McCulloch as "short thick peduncles, which are densely fimbriated". |
Species Citation |
Chaunax penicillatus McCulloch, 1915, Biol. Res. F.I.S. Endeavour 1909-1914 3(3): 167, pl. 33(2). Type locality: off Cape Everard, Victoria, depth 160-200 fathoms. |
Author |
Bray, D.J. 2023 |
Resources |
Pencil Coffinfish, Chaunax penicillatus McCulloch 1915
References
Caruso, J.H. 1999. Family Chaunacidae. pp. 2020-2021 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. (p. 2022, as Chaunax penicillatus and C. tosaensis)
Gomon, M.F. & Ho, H.-C. 2008. Family Chaunacidae. pp. 377-379 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.
Ho, H.-C. 2015. 114 Family Chaunacidae. pp. 888-895 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. 2015. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 3 pp. 577-1152.
Ho, H. 2020. Chaunax penicillatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T139928991A140322596. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T139928991A140322596.en. Downloaded on 09 December 2020.
Ho, H.-C., Kawai, T. & Satria, F. 2015. Species of the anglerfish genus Chaunax from Indonesia, with descriptions of two new species (Lophiiformes: Chaunacidae). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63: 301-308. See ref online
Ho, H.-C. & Last, P.R. 2013. Two new species of the coffinfish genus Chaunax (Lophiiformes: Chaunacidae) from the Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 3710 (5): 436-448. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3710.5.3
Ho, H.-C. & Ma, W.-C. 2016. Revision of southern African species of the anglerfish genus Chaunax (Lophiiformes: Chaunacidae), with description of three new species. Zootaxa 4144(2): 175-194. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4144.2.2
Ho, H.-C., Roberts, C.D. & Stewart, A.L. 2013. A review of the anglerfish genus Chaunax (Lophiiformes: Chaunacidae) from New Zealand and adjacent waters, with descriptions of four new species. Zootaxa 3620(1): 89-111. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3620.1.4
Ho, H.-C. & Shao, K.-T. 2010. A new species of Chaunax (Lophiiformes: Chaunacidae) from the western South Pacific, with comments on C. latipunctatus. Zootaxa 2445: 53-61. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2445.1.3
Le Danois, Y. 1979. Révision systématique de la famille des Chaunacidae (Pisces Pediculati). UO. Japanese Society of Ichthyologists 30: 1-76.
McCulloch, A.R. 1915. Report on some fishes obtained by the F.I.S. Endeavour on the coasts of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South and South-Western Australia. Part 3. Biological Results of the Fishing Experiments carried on by the F.I.S. Endeavour 1909-1914 3(3): 97-170 figs 1-3 pls 13-37 See ref at BHL
Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (eds) 1986. Smith's Sea Fishes. Johannesburg : Macmillan South Africa xx + 1047 pp. 144 pls.