Rhodichthys melanocephalus, Blackhead strainer snailfish

Rhodichthys melanocephalus Andriashev & Chernova, 2011

Blackhead strainer snailfish
Upload your photos and videos
 Google image
Image of Rhodichthys melanocephalus (Blackhead strainer snailfish)
No image available for this species;
drawing shows typical species in Liparidae.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Perciformes/Cottoidei (Sculpins) > Liparidae (Snailfishes)
Etymology: Rhodichthys: Greek, rhodeos, a,-on = rose + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335); melanocephalus: Name from Greek μέλας – b for black and κεφαλι – hfor head.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 1470 - 1695 m (Ref. 86261). Deep-water

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Arctic Ocean: Norwegian Sea.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.4 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86261); 12.5 cm SL (female)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal soft rays (total): 54 - 58; Vertebrae: 62 - 66. This species is distinguished by the following characters: vertebrae 62-66; D 54-58 (3-5 anterior rays short); pectoral-fin rays, 11-14 in upper lobe, 4-7 rudimentary rays in notch, 2-3 in lower lobe; preanal length 36.3-37.4% SL; head 25.3-27.6% SL; postorbital distance (from posterior margin of eye to tip of operculum) large, 14.3-15.5% SL; teeth sharp, closely set and distinctly prominent, with some of posterior teeth much larger than others; posterior margin of gill cover emarginated between rigid ends of gill rays; head and anterior part of body brownish-black; gill cavity and mouth black (Ref. 86261).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated; Cross section: oval.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Andriashev, A.P. and N.V. Chernova, 2010. Three new snailfishes (Scorpaeniformes: Liparidae) from bathyal depths of the Arctic. Proc. Zool. Inst. Russian Acad. Sci., 314(4):365-380. (Ref. 86261)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Territories
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genome
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Genetic Diversity
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaborators
Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |