Untitled - Alaska Resources Library

Family Ophidiidae — Cusk-eels
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Bassozetus zenkevitchi Rass, 1955. Pacific coast of Honshu, Japan (Machida and Tachibana 1986) to
southeastern Kamchatka (Sheiko and Fedorov 2000); one record from southeastern Bering Sea, Alaska
at 56°N, 169°05'W (Orr et al. 2005). Mesopelagic to bathypelagic, collected at depths of 200–3,400 m
(656–11,155 ft; Sheiko and Fedorov 2000); Alaska specimen caught in net fished to 997 m (3,271 ft) over
about 1,500 m (4,921 ft) bottom depth(Orr et al. 2005).
Brotula clarkae Hubbs, 1944. Clark’s Brotula, Pacific Bearded Brotula, Pinkbeard Cusk-eel, or Redbearded
Cusk-eel. To 98 cm (38.6 in) TL (Robertson and Allen 2002). Cabo San Lazaro, southern Baja California
(Ambrose in Moser 1996) to Paita, Peru (Chirichigno 1974), including Gulf of California (Robertson
and Allen 2002). Adults benthopelagic, juveniles common on reefs (Nielsen and Cohen in Nielsen et al.
1999), at depths of 1–645 m (3–2,116 ft; Robertson and Allen 2002).
Brotulataenia nielseni Cohen, 1974. To 31.2 cm (12.3 in) SL (Machida et al. 1997). Pacific and Indian oceans;
northern Baja California (about 31°50'N; Machida et al. 1997) to south of equator (14°46'S, 93°38'W;
Cohen 1974). Pelagic and perhaps benthopelagic (Nielsen and Cohen in Nielsen et al. 1999), taken in
nets fished between surface and 300 m (984 ft) to 1,200 m (3,936 ft; Cohen 1974).
Cherublemma emmelas (Gilbert, 1890). Black Brotula. To 28.6 cm (11.3 in) TL (Kong et al. 1988). Southern
Baja California (26°08'N, 113°20'W; De La Cruz-Agüero and Galván-Magaña 1992) to northern Chile
(20°S; Sielfeld and Vargas 1996), including Gulf of California (Lea in Fischer et al. 1995). Adults on
bottom, juveniles pelagic, at depths of 70–750 m (230–2,460 ft) (min.: Sielfeld and Vargas 1996; max.:
Robins in Nielsen et al. 1999).
Chilara taylori (Girard, 1858). Spotted Cusk-eel. To 39.6 cm (15.6 in) TL (Lea and Béarez 1999). Willapa
Bay, Washington (Ambrose in Moser 1996) to Punta Rompiente (27°43'N, 114°58'W; LACM 32055.012),
southern Baja California and Ecuador (Lea and Béarez 1999). Benthic, from shore (Robins in Nielsen
et al. 1999); or intertidal and to depth of 731 m (2,398 ft) (min.: J. Carroll, pers. comm. to M. L.; max.:
Ramsey et al. 2002).
Dicrolene filamentosa Garman, 1899. Threadfin Cusk-eel. To 44 cm (17.3 in; FishBase). Eastern Pacific
Ocean off Oregon (UW 17499, UW 48730, and UW 48731), southern Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and
northern Peru (FishBase) to Huacho, Peru (Chirichigno and Vélez 1998). Benthopelagic, at depths of
823–1,855 m (2,699–6,084 ft) (min.: UW 17499; max.: Nielsen and Cohen in Nielsen et al. 1999).
Holcomycteronus profundissimus (Roule, 1913). To 30 cm (11.8 in) TL (Nielsen in Quéro et al. 1990).
Circumglobal (Nielsen and Cohen in Nielsen et al. 1999); Oregon (Matarese et al. 1989). Benthopelagic,
at depths of 5,180–7,160 m (16,990–23,485 ft) (min.: Pearcy et al. 1982; max.: Nielsen and Cohen in
Nielsen et al. 1999).
Lamprogrammus niger Alcock, 1891. Paperbone Cusk-eel. To 61 cm (24 in) TL (Nielsen in Quéro et al. 1990).
Circumglobal (Nielsen and Cohen in Nielsen et al. 1999); Washington (47°12'N) to Point Conception,
central California (34°32'N; Lauth 2001). Adults usually taken near bottom, small specimens occasionally
in midwater trawls at mesopelagic depths (Nielsen and Cohen in Nielsen et al. 1999); 497–2,615 m
(1,630–8,577 ft) (min.: Lauth 2000; max.: Moore et al. 2003).
Lepophidium microlepis (Gilbert, 1890). Finescale Cusk-eel or Silver Cusk-eel. To 26 cm (10.2 in) SL (Velasco
and Thiel 2002). Central Baja California (Lea in Fischer et al. 1995) to at least as far south as Paita, Peru
(Chirichigno and Vélez 1998), including Gulf of California (Lea in Fischer et al. 1995). Benthic, at
depths of 70–320 m (230–1,050 ft); shallower depths reported off Peru are likely in error (Robins in
Nielsen et al. 1999).