Teleostei (teleosts) >
Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Brachionichthyidae (Handfishes)
Etymology: Pezichthys: Name from Greek 'pezo' (walking) and 'ichthys' (fish), referring to the ability of these fishes to walk on the sea floor using their hand-like pelvic fins and arm-like pectoral fins; eltanini: Named for the Polar Research Vessel FRV Eltanin, which was used between 1962
and 1979 to survey Antarctic waters and nearby temperate seas.
More on authors: Last & Gledhill.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal. Temperate; 43°S - 44°S, 147°E - 148°E
Eastern Indian Ocean: Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 82446)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is characterized by the combination of the following characters: very large esca, 54-82% of illicium length; short and stout illicium, with or without dermal spinules, its length 21-22% SL, 2.4-2.6 times in head length; head length 5.4-5.5 times snout length; snout length about 10% SL; eye diameter 6.1-7.0 times in head length; maximum width of body 31-39% SL; interorbital is broad, width 12-15% SL; scale bases stellate with short bicuspid spinules (except for those closely associated with pores of the acoustico-lateralis system); dorsal-fin elements and membranes with full or partial coverage of spiny scales; first dorsal-fin base long, length 25-30% SL; second dorsal-fin rays 15-16, fin base 62-63% SL; length of second dorsal-fin spine 0.9-1.5 times length of longest ray of second dorsal fin; 7-8 anal-fin rays; uniformly white body and fins (Ref. 82446).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
This deepwater handfish is known only from the mid continental shelf, and possibly the upper continental slope, off Tasmania (Ref. 82446).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Last, P. and D.C. Gledhill, 2009. A revision of the Australian handfishes (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with descriptions of three new genera and nine new species. Zootaxa 2252:1-77. (Ref. 82446)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5313 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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