Untitled - Alaska Resources Library

shrinkage in preservative, than in fresh or live specimens (C. W. M.). Near Alaska in eastern Beaufort Sea
off Canada to Greenland and western Atlantic to Cape Cod; eastern North Atlantic, Kara and Barents
seas, and Novaya Zemlya (Mecklenburg et al. 2002). At depths of 5–930 m (16–2,983 ft) (min.: Scott and
Scott 1988; max.: Andriashev 1954), adults typically at 60–200 m (197–656 ft; Andriashev 1954).
Lethotremus muticus Gilbert, 1896. Docked Snailfish. To 6.2 cm (2.4 in) TL (Mecklenburg et al. 2002).
Eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands from Amchitka Island to Unimak Pass (Mecklenburg et
al. 2002). At depths of 84–329 m (276–1,079 ft) (min.: UW 49415; max.: Mecklenburg et al. 2002).
Although numerous specimens have been added to museum collections and identified as L. muticus
since cyclopterid records were reviewed by Mecklenburg et al. (2002) and Mecklenburg and Sheiko
(2003), most are misidentified E. phrynoides (C. W. M., unpubl. data).
Family Liparidae — Snailfishes
Acantholiparis caecus Grinols, 1969. Caecal Spiny Snailfish or Fanged Snailfish. To 7.4 cm (2.9 in) SL (SIO
76-174). British Columbia (Peden 2003); Oregon (Grinols 1969, Stein 1978); and Cortes Basin, southern
California (SIO 76-174). At depths of 1,362–2,122 m (4,468–6,962 ft) (min.: SIO 76-174; max.: Grinols
1969). The new minimum depth is close to the depth of 1,372 m (4,501 ft) recorded by Stein (1978) for
a specimen from Oregon; depth of 1,300 m (4,265 ft) given elsewhere in Stein (1978) and in Chernova
et al. (2004) evidently is a generalization.
Acantholiparis opercularis Gilbert & Burke, 1912. Spiny Snailfish. To 8.3 cm (3.3 in) TL (Grinols 1966).
Southeastern Kamchatka, North Pacific Ocean (Gilbert and Burke 1912); northeastern Kamchatka
(Mecklenburg et al. 2002) and Commander Islands (Parin et al. 2002), Bering Sea; Oregon (Stein 1978).
Benthic, at depths of 1,222–3,609 m (4,009–11,840 ft) (min.: Parin et al. 2002; max.: Gilbert and Burke
1912). For minimum depth Mecklenburg et al. (2002) gave 1,247 m (4,091 ft) from the Kamchatka type
locality (Gilbert and Burke 1912), which was mistakenly reported by Stein (1978) to be 227 m (744 ft).
The Parin et al. (2002) record from 1,222 m is not much shallower and, although evidently lacking a
voucher specimen, is likely to be correct.
Careproctus abbreviatus Burke, 1930. Short Snailfish. To 10 cm (3.9 in) TL. Known from three specimens:
two from northern Okhotsk Sea and one from eastern North Pacific south of Alaska Peninsula. Bottom
at depths of 325 m (1,066 ft; Okhotsk Sea) and 1,143 m (3,750 ft; Alaska). All in Mecklenburg et al.
(2002). Chernova et al. (2004) consider the Okhotsk Sea record questionable. If those two specimens are
not C. abbreviatus, the species is known only from the holotype (53 mm TL, from Alaska).
Careproctus attenuatus Gilbert & Burke, 1912. Attenuate Snailfish. Known from one specimen, 3.7 cm
(1.5 in) SL, collected just south of Agattu Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Bottom at 882 m (2,894 ft).
All in Mecklenburg et al. (2002).
Careproctus bowersianus Gilbert & Burke, 1912. Bowers Bank Snailfish. To 15.6 cm (6.1 in) SL. Southeastern
and southcentral Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. Bottom at depths of 629–800 m (2,064–2,625 ft). All
in Mecklenburg et al. (2002).
Careproctus candidus Gilbert & Burke, 1912. Bigeye Snailfish or Crested Snailfish. To 10.6 cm (4.2 in) SL.
Western North Pacific off northern Kuril Islands and southeastern Kamchatka; southeastern Bering Sea
(56°17'N, 168°45'W; UW 25138) and Aleutian islands to northwestern Gulf of Alaska at Cook Inlet.
Benthic, at depths of 64–400 m (210–1,312 ft). Additional citations in Mecklenburg et al. (2002).
Careproctus canus Kido, 1985. Gray Snailfish. To 15.9 cm (6.3 in) SL (Kido 1985). Western and central
Aleutian Islands from Near Strait (between Medny and Attu islands) (Kido 1985) to Tanaga Pass, Delarof
Islands (51°55'N, 178°25'W; UW 110293). Benthic, at depths of 48–434 m (157–1,424 ft) (min.: UW
110293; max.: Kido 1985).
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