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Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Brachionichthyidae (Handfishes)
Eponymy: Peter Moulton was an Australian fisheries biologist with the former Victorian Institute of Marine Science (now the Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute). [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on authors: Last & Gledhill.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range 105 - 150 m (Ref. 82446). Temperate
Southwest Pacific: Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 82446)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 18; Anal soft rays: 7 - 8. This species is characterized by the following combination of characters: large esca, size variable, about 56% of illicium length; thick illicium, fleshy, with some dermal spinules on basal half, length 16-21% SL, 2.1-3 times in head length; esca with similar thickness to rest of structure; body entirely covered with close-set, non-imbricate scales; scale bases rudimentary, margins irregular, with long bifurcate spinules (except for those closely associated with pores of the acoustico-lateralis system); mainly adpressed spinules, originating from posterior region of scale base, apical spines moderately divergent; second dorsal fin rays 15-16, fin base 61-66% SL; length of second dorsal-fin spine 0.8-0.9 times length of longest ray of second dorsal fin; anal-fin rays 7-8; pectoral-fin rays 7-8; upper body is uniformly pale pink; membranes between distal portions of rays of dorsal, caudal and pelvic fins dark (Ref. 82446).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Last, P. and D.C. Gledhill, 2009. A revision of the Australian handfishes (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with descriptions of three new genera and nine new species. Zootaxa 2252:1-77. (Ref. 82446)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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