Eyelash handfish

📖 Overview

Eyelash handfish (Pezichthys nigrocilium), first described by Last & Gledhill, 2009 is a tiny fish. Adults typically reach 4.10 cm in maximum length. It inhabits marine coastal and open-ocean environments. It occurs in Temperate waters. It feeds on a mix of small fish and invertebrates as a mid-level predator. On the IUCN Red List, it is classified as Data Deficient.

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal soft rays (total): 17; Anal soft rays: 8. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: small esca, 11% of illicium length (including esca); short, very slender illicium, without dermal spinules, its length about 16% SL, 3.5 times in head length; head length about 9 times snout length; short snout, length 6% SL; eye large, 5.6 times in head length; narrow body, maximum width 19% SL; interorbital width narrow, about 5% SL; scale bases subcircular with prominent, strongly divergent, bifurcate spinules (except for those closely associated with pores of the acoustico-lateralis system); spinules variable in length over body; dorsal-fin elements covered with spinules, outer fin membranes naked; first dorsal-fin base short, length 15% SL; second dorsal-fin rays 15, fin base about 57% SL; length of second dorsal-fin spine 1.4 times length of longest ray of second dorsal fin; anal-fin rays 8; body is predominantly pale pink with prominent eyelash-like marking radiating from eye; caudal fin plain, without fine spots .: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Eyelash handfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal. Temperate Indian Ocean: Tasmania, Australia.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🐠 Related Species

👥 Community & Contribute