Victory Whiptail, Asthenomacrurus victoris Sazonov & Shcherbachev 1982
Victory Whiptail, Asthenomacrurus victoris - Wanganella Bank, West Norfolk Ridge, 1760-1786 m.. Source: Robin McPhee & Karen Parkinson / NORFANZ Founding Parties. License: All rights reserved
The Victory Whiptail is a rare deep-water species that lives near the bottom at continental slope and abyssal depths.
Victory Whiptail, Asthenomacrurus victoris Sazonov & Shcherbachev 1982
More Info
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Distribution |
Found in temperate waters of the Indo-West Pacific and Atlantic oceans; known from off eastern and southwestern Australia, New Zealand, Japan, southwestern Indian Ocean and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; bathydemersal on the continental slope and in upper abyssal depths between 1640-3530 m. |
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Features |
Meristic counts: Dorsal fin II, 8-9; Pi17-21; V 7-8; Gill rakers (first arch – outer) 13-14; Branchiostegal rays 7. Body: Body long, trunk deepish, tapering to a long slender tail. Head moderate, laterally compressed, much deeper than wide, pores not prominent. Head bones weak and flexible, lacking coarse scaly ridges. Snout relatively short, high and angular with a pointed tip, protruding beyond mouth. Snout almost entirely naked above and below. Mouth large, wide, upper jaw extending beyond eye, slender chin barbel present. Jaws with small, sharp conical teeth in bands. Anus immediately before anal fin, surrounded by a small naked black periproct region, light organ poorly developed, or apparently absent in some specimens. Fins: Spinous ray of first dorsal fin elongate, a few weak serrations along leading edge, anal-fin origin well behind first dorsal-fin base. Pectoral fins positioned high on body, above mid-lateral line. Pelvic fins small, positioned forward under preopercle, in advance of vertical through pectoral-fin base. Scales: Scales small, covered with rows of spinules or low ridges. |
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Size |
To more than 25 cm. |
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Colour |
Body dark brown, abdomen black to very dark purple, head mostly dark brown to blackish, lips, gill membranes and gill cavity black; chin barbel light greyish. First dorsal, pectoral and pelvic fins black near base, slightly paler distally, anal fin black anteriorly. |
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Feeding |
Unknown, presumably a carnivore. |
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Biology |
Nothing known of biology. |
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Fisheries |
Of no interest to fisheries. |
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Conservation |
IUCN: Not evaluated. EPBC Act: Not listed |
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Species Citation |
Asthenomacrurus victoris Sazonov & Shcherbachev, 1982, Vopr. Ikhtiol. 22(5): 709, fig. l. Type locality: Sw Indian Ocean, 2°46'S, 65°41 E, 3530 m. |
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Author |
Dianne J. Bray & Greta J. Frankham |
Victory Whiptail, Asthenomacrurus victoris Sazonov & Shcherbachev 1982
References
Iwamoto, T. & A.M. Orlov. 2008. First Atlantic record of Asthenomacrurus victoris Sazonov & Shcherbachev (Macruruidae, Gadiformes, Teleostei). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (4)59(4): 125-131.
Iwamoto, T., Yu.N. Shcherbachev & B. Marquardt. 2004. Grenadiers (Gadiformes, Teleostei) of Walters Shoals, southwestern Indian Ocean, with description of a new "west-wind drift" species. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 55(10): 190-207.
Sazonov, Yu.I. & Shcherbachev, Yu.N. 1982. A preliminary review of grenadiers related to the genus Cetonurus (Gadiformes, Macrouridae). Descriptions of new taxa related to the genera Cetonurus Günther and Kumba Marshall. Vopr. Ikhtiol. 22(5): 707-721, figs. 1-4.
