Teleostei (teleosts) >
Ophidiiformes (Cusk eels) >
Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels) > Neobythitinae
Etymology: Bassozetus: Latin, bassus = thick, fat + Greek, ketos = marine mosnter, whale (Ref. 45335); galatheae: Named for the Danish research vessel GALATHEA which caught the first specimens during its global circumnavigation in 1950-52.
Eponymy: This is not a true eponym as it is named after a ship. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on authors: Nielsen & Merrett.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 1680 - 1800 m (Ref. 84269). Deep-water
Indo-Pacific: from off Kenya to Fiji.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 55.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 84269)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is distinguished by the following characters: body elongate, tapering caudally, scales on head and body rather small with 25-35 oblique scale rows, snout rather pointed, mouth terminal, a single basibranchial tooth patch with a slight constriction centrally and a v-shaped vomer, sagittal otolith large with a small sulcus and no ostial channel, dorsal fin-rays 132-142, anal fin-rays 108-114, pectoral fin-rays 26-29, ventral fin-rays not reaching anus, total number of vertebrae 71-76, long gill rakers on anterior arch 14-17 (Ref. 84269).
A benthic species found on the continental slope (Ref. 75154). Reproductive strategy possibly similar to other members of this family featuring oviparity, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205). Of the 22 examined specimens 16 are
males, including a 55.5 crn SL specimen with spent testes. One of the six females measuring 23.2 cm SL had fully ripe ovaries with eggs of about 0.5 mm in diameter. These were caught on or near the bottom mostly at slope depths but also extending into the abyss. Identifiable contents from the digestive tract found in six specimens include scales and vertebrae from fish, dorsal felt from polychaetes and remains of crustaceans (Ref. 84269).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Nielsen, J.G. and N.R. Merrett, 2000. Revision of the cosmopolitan deep-sea genus Bassozetus (Pisces: Ophidiidae) with two new species. Galathea Report 18:7-56. (Ref. 84269)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 2 - 3.2, mean 2.6 °C (based on 100 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5001 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.7 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (47 of 100).
