Ai's cusk
📖 Overview
Ai's cusk (Monomitopus ainonaka), first described by Girard, Carter & Johnson, 2023 is a small fish in the family Ophidiidae (order Ophidiiformes). Adults typically reach 13.50 cm in maximum length. It inhabits marine coastal and open-ocean environments. Recorded depth range: 768 to 796 metres. It occurs in Tropical waters. It feeds on a mix of small fish and invertebrates as a mid-level predator.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal soft rays (total): 105; Anal soft rays: 92; Vertebrae: 62. This species is distinguished by the following characters: weak, flap-like spines on preopercle; downward-sloped dorsal profile between eye and origin of the dorsal fin in adulta; differs from other species in the M. nigripinnis species group occurring in the Pacific by the numbers of dorsal-fin rays 105 (vs. 94-103 in M. garmani, 96-99 in M. malispinosus), anal-fin rays 92 (vs. 76-87 in M. garmani; 81-84 in M. malispinosus), pectoral-fin rays 35 (vs. 28-32 in M. garmani; 26-29 in M. malispinosus) and smaller ratio of eye diameter relative to head length 4-4 (vs. 4.6-5.6 in M. garmani; 4.6-4.9 in M. malispinosus) .Cross section: oval.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Ai's cusk is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 768 - 796 m . Tropical East Central Pacific: Hawaii.
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🔍 Similar Species
👥 Community & Contribute
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