Codlet

Codlets are a family, Bregmacerotidae, of cod-like fishes, containing the single genus Bregmaceros found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world. They are very small fishes and even the largest, B. lanceolatus, reaches only 11.5 cm (4.5 in) in length.

Codlets
Temporal range: 48โ€“0 Ma
Middle Eocene to present[1]
Antenna codlet, Bregmaceros atlanticus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gadiformes
Family: Bregmacerotidae
T. N. Gill, 1872
Genus: Bregmaceros
W. Thompson ex Cantor, 1840
Species

See text

Etymology

Their scientific name is from Greek bregma meaning the top of the head, and keras meaning "horn"; this refers to their occipital ray (a spine emerging from the top of the head).

Fossil record

Fossils of Bregmaceros are found from the Eocene to the Quaternary (age range: from 37.2 to 0.0 million years ago.). They are known from various localities in Europe, North America and South America.[2]

Fossil of Bregmaceros species from Pliocene

Species

Currently, 14 species in this genus are recognized:[3]

  • Bregmaceros arabicus D'Ancona & Cavinato, 1965
  • Bregmaceros atlanticus Goode & Bean, 1886 (antenna codlet)
  • Bregmaceros bathymaster D. S. Jordan & Bollman, 1890 (codlet)
  • Bregmaceros cantori Milliken & Houde, 1984 (striped codlet)
  • Bregmaceros cayorum Nichols, 1952
  • Bregmaceros houdei Saksena & Richards, 1986 (stellate codlet)
  • Bregmaceros japonicus S. Tanaka (I), 1908 (Japanese codlet)
  • Bregmaceros lanceolatus S. C. Shen, 1960
  • Bregmaceros mcclellandi W. Thompson, 1840 (spotted codlet, Macclelland's unicorn-cod, unicorn cod)
  • Bregmaceros nectabanus Whitley, 1941 (smallscale codlet)
  • Bregmaceros neonectabanus S. Masuda, Ozawa & Tabeta, 1986
  • Bregmaceros pescadorus S. C. Shen, 1960
  • Bregmaceros pseudolanceolatus Torii, Javonillo & Ozawa, 2004 (false lance codlet)
  • Bregmaceros rarisquamosus Munro, 1950 (big-eye unicorn-cod)
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References
  1. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
  2. Paleobiology Database
  3. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). Species of Bregmaceros in FishBase. April 2012 version.


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