Feeler fish

Feeler fish
Feeler fish, Bathypterois longifilis Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Aulopiformes
Family:	Ipnopidae
Genus:	Bathypterois
Species:	B. longifilis
Binomial name
Bathypterois longifilis Günther, 1878

The Feeler fish (Bathypterois longifilis), a grinner of the genus Bathypterois, is found around Australia and New Zealand, on slopes of the continental shelf at depths of between 500 and 5,000 metres. Its length is about 30 centimetres.

The Feeler fish is a moderately elongate fish of almost round cross-section with a flattened head that bears a pair of minute eyes. The upper rays of the pectoral fins are free and very long, reaching back past the tip of the tail. These rays serve a sensory purpose, detecting physical features and prey in front of the fish as it moves along the bottom. They 'walk' along the bottom on their pelvic fins and lower caudal fin lobe.

These fish are dark in colour with pale fin rays that on some of the fins are joined by black fin membranes.

References

• "Bathypterois longifilis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 18 April. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
• Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Bathypterois longifilis" in FishBase. March 2006 version.
• Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8