Author: Günther, 1878

Bathysaurus ferox Günther, 1878

Diagnosis: adipose fin absent. Dorsal fin base long, c. twice length of anal fin base. Lateral line extending on to caudal fin. Sixth or seventh pectoral finray with its upper branch elongated and upturned. Dorsal finrays 17-18; anal finrays 11-13; pelvic finrays 8; pectoral finrays 15. Branchiostegal rays 12, lateral line scales 70-74. Vertebrae 63. Colour: grey to charcoal. Size: to 61 cm max. (55-60 cm typically). About 150 specimens have been captured worldwide.

Habitat: benthic at 1,0000-3,500 m, most commonly shallower than 2,000 m (but below the 4 °C isotherm). Food: see genus. Reproduction: larva is Regan's (1903, 1911) 'Macristium chavesi' (Ida & Tom inaga, 1971; Johnson, 1974; Marshall, 1961; Rosen, 1971). Hermaph roditic gonads described (Wenner, 1978).

Distribution: in the western Atlantic adults are known from the Davi< Strait to the Rio Grande Rise; in the eastern Atlantic from off Northerr Ireland to off South Africa. Not- recorded from the Mediterranean. In the Pacific known from the type locality off New Zealand. Not recorded from the Indian Ocean. 'Macristium chavesi' larvae known from off Hispaniola, the Azores, the Bay of Biscay, the Indian Ocean.

Eggs, larvae and young stages. Marshall, 1961: 356-360, fig. 1-3 (young stages).
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Superclass Gnathostomata
Class Osteichthyes
Order Scopeliformes
Suborder Myctophoidei
Family Synodontidae
Genus Bathysaurus
Species Bathysaurus ferox

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Bathysaurus ferox Günther, 1878

Scientific synonyms and common names

Bathysaurus ferox Günther, 1878

Synonyms:

Bathysaurus agassizi Goode & Bean, 1883, Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. Harvard, 10 (5): 215 (33°35'20"N., 76°W.). Holotype: MCZ no. 28061.
Bathysaurus agassizi: Günther, 1887, 22: 183 Vaillant, 1888: 139, pl. 10 (fig. 1) Grey, 1956: 128 Mead, 1966: 105-109, fig. 36 Geistdoerfer et al., 1971b: 1181.
Bathysaurus ferox (nec Günther): Vaillant, 1888: 393 Goode & Bean, 1896: 58-59, fig. 65-66 (pl. XVIII) Murray & Hjort, 1912a: 120, fig. 103 Koefoed, 1927: 62, pl. 4 (fig. 4) Lozano Rey, 1947: 382, pl. 6 (fig. 3) Dollfus, 1955: 37, 114.
Macristium chavesi Regan, 1903b, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., (7)12: 344-348 ('Azores').
Type: apparently lost.
Macristium chavesi: Regan, 1911: 204, fig. (type) Fowler, 1936: 194, fig. 83 (from Regan) Albuquerque, 1954-1956: 231, fig. 128 (from Regan) Marshall, 1961: 356, fig. 1-3, 4a.


Common names:

none

Dollfus, R. Ph. 1955. Première contribution à l'établissement d'un fichier ichthyologique du Maroc atlantique de Tanger à l'embouchure de l'Oued Dra. Trav. Inst. scient. chérif., Zool, (6): 227 p., 1 map.

Fowler, H. W. 1936. The Marine Fishes of West Africa, based on the collection of the American Museum Congo Expedition 1909-1915. Bull. am. Mus. nat. Hist., 70 (1), Jan. 21, 1936: vii + 606 p., fig. 1-275; (2), Nov. 18, 1936: 607-1493, fig. 276-567.

Geistdoerfer, P.; Hureau, J. C.; Rannou, M. 1971b. Liste préliminaire des espèces de Poissons de profondeur récoltées au cours de la campagne 'Noratlante' du N.O. Jean Charcot en Atlantique Nord (aout-octobre 1969). Bull. Mus. Hist. nat., Paris, 42 (6): 1177-1185.

Goode, G. B.; Bean, T. H. 1883. Reports on the results of dredging under the supervision of Alexander Agassiz, on the east coast of the United States, during the summer of 1880, by the U.S. coast survey steamer 'Blake', commander J. R. Bartlett, U.S.N., commanding. Report on the fishes. Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. Harv., 10 (5) :183-226.

Goode, G. B.; Bean, T. H. 1896. Oceanic ichthyology, a treatise on the deep-sea and pelagic fishes of the world, based chiefly upon the collections made by steamers Blake, Albatross and Fish Hawk in the northwestern Atlantic. Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., 30 and Spec. Bull U.S. natn. Mus., 1895 [1896] and Mem. Mus. comp. Zool. Harv., 1 (Text): xxxv+1-553; 2 (Atlas): xxiii+1-26, 123 pl., 417 fig.

Grey, M. 1956. The distribution of fishes found below a depth of 2000 meters. Fieldiana, ZooL, 36 (2): 75-337.

Koefoed, E. 1927. Fishes from the Sea-Bottom. Rep. scient. Results Michael Sars N. Atlant. deep Sea Exped., [tittle page: 1927, 1932], 4 (1): 148 p., 55 fig., 6 pl.

Lozano y Rey, L. 1947. Peces Ganoideos y Fisostomos, Mems R. Acad. Cienc. exact. fis. nat. Madr., ser.: Cienc. Nat., 11: xv + 839 p., 190 fig., 20 pl.

Mead, G. W. Ed. 1966. Order Iniomi. In Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Mem. Sears Found. Mar. Res., 1(5): 1-602, fig. 1-218.

Murray, J.; Hjort, J. 1912a. The depths of the ocean. A general account of the modern science of oceanography based largely on the scientific researches of the norwegian steamer Michael Sars in the North Atlantic. London, 1912: xx + 821 p. 575 fig. + unnumbered fig., 4 maps, 9 pl.

Regan, C. T. 1903b. On a collection of fishes from the Azores. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., (7)12: 344-348.

Regan, C. T. 1911. A synopsis of the Marsipobranchs of the order Hyperoartii. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., (8) 7: 193-204.

Regan, C. T. 1911. On the systematic position of Macristium chavesi. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (8) 7 (19): 204-205.

Günther, A. 1887. Report on the Deep-sea Fishes collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-1876. Challenger Reports, Zool., 22: Ixv + 268 p., 7 fig., 66 pl.

Marshall, N. B. 1961. A young Macristium and the ctenothrissid fishes. Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Zool., 7 (8): 353-370.

Vaillant, L. 1888. Poissons in Expéditions scientifiques du 'Travailleur' et du 'Talisman' pendant les années 1880-1883. Masson, Paris, 406 p., 28 pl.

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