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Ophidiiformes (Cusk eels) >
Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels) > Neobythitinae
Etymology: Bassozetus: Latin, bassus = thick, fat + Greek, ketos = marine mosnter, whale (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Lev Aleksandrovich Zenkevich (1889–1970) was a Russian oceanographer and zoologist. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 0 - 6930 m (Ref. 58302). Deep-water
North Pacific.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 26.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 31384)
Snout inflated; eyes much smaller than snout; opercular spine weak or absent; preopercle without spines and posteriorly expanded almost reaching posterior margin of opercle; pseudobranchial filaments 2 (Ref. 34024).
Rare, deep pelagic species (Ref. 34024). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Oviparous, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205). Of the 5 female specimens caught, 2 with 0.5 mm eggs. No identifiable stomach contents were found. Specimen collection used non-closing, pelagic fishing gear (bottom trawls) (Ref. 84269). Minimum depth from Ref. 58018.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Machida, Y. and Y. Tachibana, 1986. A new record of Bassozetus zenkevitchi (Ophidiidae, Ophidiiformes) from Japan. Jap. J. Ichthyol. 32(4):437-439. (Ref. 31384)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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