Brachionichthys hirsutus
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Brachionichthys hirsutus |
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| ( Lacepède , 1804) |
Brachionichthys hirsutus is a rare species of fish that was endemic to the coastal waters of Tasmania at depths of two to 40 meters on the ocean floor. Today their occurrence is limited to the mouth of the Dervent River.
features
The fish are 15 centimeters long. They have a small "Esca" (decoy dummy of anglerfish ), the 15 to 26 percent of the length of the slender Angel ( "Illicium") is reached. The body is covered by dense scales. All scales, with the exception of those along the lateral line organ , have a sting in the center of the base of the scale. The length of these spines is different.
The top of the body is patterned with small, dark dots or short lines; on the caudal fin the points are closer.
Fin formula : dorsal II / 17–19, anal 8–10, pectoral 7
Way of life
Brachionichthys hirsutus lives on muddy or sandy ground, often near rocks or in depressions that are filled with mussel shells. It moves on its hand-shaped fins across the ground, which looks like it is walking. The spawning season is between September and October. During this period, the female lays approx. 80–250 eggs with a diameter of 1.8 to 2 millimeters. Hand fish do not have a larval stage, but leave the eggs as 6 to 7 mm long, fully formed young fish.
Danger
Brachionichthys hirsutus is on the verge of extinction, as its ligaments are being eaten by the starfish Asterias amurensis, which was not originally native to Tasmania . It also suffers from habitat loss and heavy metal input from sewage. The species is on the Red List of the World Conservation Union as critically endangered performed ( "Critically Endangered").
literature
- Paxton, JR, DF Hoese, GR Allen and JE Hanley, Pisces. Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Zoological Catalog of Australia, Vol. 7. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1989, page 665 ff
- Jenny Bruce, Karen McGhee, Luba Vangelova, Richard Vogt, The Encyclopedia of Animals , National Geographic, 2007, page 495ff, ISBN 978-3937606958
- David Burnie, translated by Gabriele Lehari, Christiane Gsänger, Toni Neuner, animals. The great image encyclopedia with over 2000 species. , Dorling Kindersley Verlag GmbH, 2001, page 521 ff, ISBN 3831002029
Individual evidence
- ^ A b The Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts The Spotted Hand Fish - Brachionichthys hirsutus
- ↑ Description page of Asterias amurensis on issg.org (English)
Web links
- Brachionichthys hirsutus on Fishbase.org (English)
- Brachionichthys hirsutus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011.2. Posted by: Bruce, B. & Last, P., 1996. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- Brachionichthys hirsutus in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Retrieved January 4, 2012.