Blind mouths
| Blind mouths | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saccopharynx ampullaceus |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the family | ||||||||||||
| Saccopharyngidae | ||||||||||||
| Bleeker , 1859 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Saccopharynx | ||||||||||||
| Cuvier , 1829 |
The sac-mouths ( saccopharynx ) or Schlinger are deep-sea fish that live in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian Oceans at depths of up to 4500 meters. They are the only genus of the family Saccopharyngidae and belong to the suborder of the Pelikanaaliform (Saccopharyngoidei).
features
Bag mouths are 60 centimeters to 1.60 meters long, with the tail longer than the rest of the body. The number of vertebrae is 150 to 300. Its mouth is large, highly flexible and has teeth that curve backwards. Vomer and parasphenoid, two bones of the skull, are missing. The pectoral fins are small but well developed.
A special feature of these fish is that the lateral line organ is not located in a canal under the skin, as with other fish, but on the outside of the body. The fish are presumably so more sensitive to pressure waves in the water that they can more easily perceive and track down prey that is moving.
Luminous organ
At the end of the long, increasingly thinner tail, all the blind mouths carry a luminous organ. It is still unknown what its function is. The other luminous organs that the sackcloths have are also a mystery. From the top of the skull to the tail run two furrows that contain a white luminous tissue that diffuses a weak light. The actual light organ is located in the last 15 cm of the tail. There are also various small colored warts (papillae) spread over the body. These papillae constantly produce a pink light. The luminous organ in the tail can also emit flashes of light in addition to a constant reddish glow.
species
- Saccopharynx ampullaceus (Harwood, 1827)
- Saccopharynx berteli Tighe & Nielsen, 2000
- Saccopharynx flagellum Cuvier, 1829
- Saccopharynx harrisoni Beebe, 1932
- Saccopharynx hjorti Bertin, 1938
- Saccopharynx lavenbergi Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
- Saccopharynx paucovertebratis Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
- Saccopharynx ramosus Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
- Saccopharynx schmidti Bertin, 1934
- Saccopharynx thalassa Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
- Saccopharynx trilobatus Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
literature
- Joseph S. Nelson : Fishes of the World . John Wiley & Sons, 2006, ISBN 0-471-25031-7 .
- Kurt Fiedler: Textbook of Special Zoology . 2nd volume. Part 2. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena 1991, ISBN 3-334-00339-6 .
Web links
- Saccopharyngidae on Fishbase.org (English)
- Species list on Fishbase.org (English)