Teleostei (teleosts) >
Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Brachionichthyidae (Handfishes)
Etymology: Pezichthys: Name from Greek 'pezo' (walking) and 'ichthys' (fish), referring to the ability of these fishes to walk on the sea floor using their hand-like pelvic fins and arm-like pectoral fins.; eltanini: Named for the Polar Research Vessel FRV Eltanin, which was used between 1962
and 1979 to survey Antarctic waters and nearby temperate seas..
More on authors: Last & Gledhill.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal. Temperate; 43°S - 44°S, 147°E - 148°E
Eastern Indian Ocean: Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 82446)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is characterized by the combination of the following characters: very large esca, 54-82% of illicium length; short and stout illicium, with or without dermal spinules, its length 21-22% SL, 2.4-2.6 times in head length; head length 5.4-5.5 times snout length; snout length about 10% SL; eye diameter 6.1-7.0 times in head length; maximum width of body 31-39% SL; interorbital is broad, width 12-15% SL; scale bases stellate with short bicuspid spinules (except for those closely associated with pores of the acoustico-lateralis system); dorsal-fin elements and membranes with full or partial coverage of spiny scales; first dorsal-fin base long, length 25-30% SL; second dorsal-fin rays 15-16, fin base 62-63% SL; length of second dorsal-fin spine 0.9-1.5 times length of longest ray of second dorsal fin; 7-8 anal-fin rays; uniformly white body and fins (Ref. 82446).
This deepwater handfish is known only from the mid continental shelf, and possibly the upper continental slope, off Tasmania (Ref. 82446).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Last, P. and D.C. Gledhill, 2009. A revision of the Australian handfishes (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with descriptions of three new genera and nine new species. Zootaxa 2252:1-77. (Ref. 82446)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5313 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
