Elegant lizardfish

📖 Overview

Inhabits sandy gravel bottoms and boulders. The body color of this species varies, with some individuals collected being darker and some are orange red at relatively shallow depths (60-90 m), whereas the reddish individuals were collected somewhat deeper (90-200 m), apparently evidence of protective coloration, The red color being is less visible in deeper water .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10; Vertebrae: 56 - 59. The species is distinguished by the following set of characters. D 11-13; A 8-10; lateral-line scales 56-59; scale rows above lateral line 3-5; vertebrae 56-59; anterior gill-rakers 30-38; pseudobranchial filaments 21-28; peritoneal spots 14-17; palatine teeth uniform in length and size; posterior part of preopercle is scaled; anterior nostril flap (ANF) short, round or triangular, and not reaching rear margin of posterior nostril when laid back; ANF length/ inter-nostril distance (IND) 0.33-0.75 (mean 0.54); snout is moderately pointed in lateral view; pelvic fin moderately short, its length 21.6-24.0% SL; posterior process of pelvic girdle is wide. Colouration: when fresh, it is orange or orangish-brown dorsally, white ventrally, eight doughnut-shaped dark orange blotches along body axis, some continuous with saddle-shaped blotches on dorsum; pelvic-fin rays white, fin membranes transparent, no additional markings; caudal fin with broad yellowish-orange bands on each lobe; when in alcohol, body pale, with irregular dark pigmentation above lateral line .: elongated; Cross section: circular.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Elegant lizardfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal; depth range 60 - 200 m . Temperate Northwest Pacific: Japan.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

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