Bothrocara brunneum
| Bothrocara brunneum | |
|---|---|
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| B. brunneum swimming by a seabed. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: | Zoarcidae |
| Genus: | Bothrocara |
| Species: | B. brunneum
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| Binomial name | |
| Bothrocara brunneum (T. H. Bean, 1890)[1]
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| Synonyms | |
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Bothrocara brunneum, the twoline eelpout, is a bathydemersal species of fish of the family Zoarcidae.[1] The species is the only fish of the eelpouts to have two lateral lines and short blunt-ended gill rakers.[2] The species has a wide range across the northeastern Pacific Ocean, between the Bering Sea and the shores of San Francisco,[3] and from Attu Island to the Baja California Peninsula.[1]
It inhabits the bottom of seas or oceans and is generally found in a depth ranging between 2,000 feet (610 m) and 6,000 feet (1,829 m).[3] The species has also been studied to have shown a relationship between the season and its population increase and decrease, with the summer seasons being its highest and the winter seasons being the decrease in population size.[4] It has been hypothesized from an analysis of stomach content that the species feeds mainly on bottom-dwelling creatures.[3] Etymologically, Bothrocara stands for "cavity head" and brunneum for "brown", named respectively after the appearance of the head and the tinted brown colour of the body.[5] It was named "twoline eelpout" for its unique two lateral lines.
Description[edit]
The twoline eelpout has been found to have two lateral lines, the only one of its family, and also has a small blunt-ended gill raker.[2] Its dorsal and anal fins are covered in a gelatinous tissue.[1] Twoline eelpouts are bathydemersal (below 650 feet),[1] and can generally be found at a depth between 2,000 feet (610 m) and 6,000 feet (1,829 m).[3] The fecundity is about 215–329 eggs for females measuring 414–617 mm (16.3–24.3 in) total length.[6]
Feeding habits[edit]
It has been hypothesized that, judging by an analysis of stomach content, the species feeds primarily on bottom-dwelling creatures, habitually eating anything it comes across that has food value and that is small enough to ingest.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2022). "Bothrocara brunneum" in FishBase. June 2022 version.
- ^ a b Fitch & Lavenberg (1968), p. 77.
- ^ a b c d e Fitch & Lavenberg (1968), p. 78.
- ^ Orlov, A. M.; Tokranov, A. M. (2012-09-01). "Specific features and dynamics of catches of twoline eelpout Bothrocara brunneum (Zoarcidae) in pacific waters near Kuril Islands and Kamchatka". Journal of Ichthyology. 52 (8): 505–518. doi:10.1134/S0032945212050049. ISSN 1555-6425.
- ^ Fitch & Lavenberg (1968), p. 79.
- ^ Ferry (1994), p. 21.
Bibliography[edit]
- Ferry, Lara A. (1994). Natural history of two-line eelpouts (Bothrocara brunneum, family Zoarcidae) (Master thesis). San Francisco State University.
- Fitch, John E. & R.J. Lavenberg (1968). Deep-Water Teleostean Fishes of California. University of California Press.
External links[edit]
- Bothrocara brunneum at Encyclopedia of Life.
- Bothrocara brunneum at ZipCodeZoo.