Brotulotaenia brevicauda Cohen, 1974
Brotulotaenia brevicauda
photo by Bañón Díaz, R.

Family:  Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels), subfamily: Brotulotaeniinae
Max. size:  32 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 0 - 2650 m
Distribution:  Atlantic Ocean: Bermuda, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean. Unusual occurrence from Flemish Cap bank. One record from northwest of Spain. Also known from the Indian Ocean (Ref. 34024).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 79-84; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 58-64; Vertebrae: 63-66. Scales small, non-imbricate prickles; opercle with no spine; median basibranchial tooth patch absent; gill rakers are tooth-bearing tubercles; otolith very small and rounded; precaudal vertebrae 12-15 (Ref. 34024). Head and body black (Ref. 31173).
Biology:  Uncommon species (Ref. 34024). Reproductive strategy possibly similar to other members of this family featuring oviparity, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 11 October 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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