Longnose tapirfish

The longnose tapirfish (Polyacanthonotus challengeri) is a species of deep-sea spiny eel,[2] that lives in bathypelagic environments,[3] and is a host of an endoparasite, Brachyenteron rissoanum.[2]

Longnose tapirfish

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Notacanthiformes
Family:
Notacanthidae
Genus:
Polyacanthonotus
Species:
P. challengeri
Binomial name
Polyacanthonotus challengeri
(Vaillant, 1888)
Synonyms[1]
  • Macdonaldia alta Gill & Townsend, 1897
  • Macdonaldia challengeri (Vaillant, 1888)
  • Macdonaldia longa Gill & Townsend, 1897
  • Notacanthus challengeri Vaillant, 1888
  • Polyacanthonotus altus (Gill & Townsend, 1897)
  • Polyacanthonotus longus (Gill & Townsend, 1897)

Habitat and distribution

P. challengeri lives in the North and South Pacific, near and in areas such as Japan, Bering Sea, British Columbia, Oregon, New Zealand, and other oceans in areas like South Africa, and the Kerguelen Islands. It has been reported from areas at Azores, Canary Islands, and Morocco.[3]

It lives in depths from 777 - 4560 meters deep, but is usually found at 2000 - 3000 meters deep,[3] living in benthopelagic areas[3] near hard and soft substrate,[4] eating on benthic invertebrates, like amphipod crustaceans, polychaete worms, and mysid shrimps.[4]

Specimens of this fish were found near New Zealand, and the Kerguelen Islands.[3]

Description

P. challengeri can grow up to a length of 60 cm. It can have 32 - 35 dorsal spines, with a very small caudal fin, and its anal fin can have 161 - 162 rays altogether, with 26 - 35 being spines, that are low and long, merging with the caudal fin, and its pectoral fins being fleshy at the base.[3]

Conservation

No major threats are there for this species, and have no conservation actions in place, with an unknown population, yet it us unlikely that this fish will be affected by any disturbances, and the IUCN Red List places it as a least concern species.[4]

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References
  1. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126644
  2. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Polyacanthonotus challengeri (Vaillant, 1888)". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  3. "Polyacanthonotus challengeri summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  4. "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
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