NOTACANTHIDAE

RAE BAXTER'S ANNOTATED KEY TO THE FISHES OF ALASKA

OR

THE "NIT-PICKER'S KEY TO FISH"

NOTACANTHIDAE

Printable versions here
Adobe PDF, or "Portable Document Format"
Open Office's ODT , or "Open Document Text"

Mouth “normal”; maxilla toothless; premaxilla and dentary toothed; branchiostgal rays 6-13;
gill rakers well developed; dorsal fin with 6-40 isolated spines and no conspicuous rays.

- Dorsal spines IX.

Notacanthus chemnitsi ( Bloch, 1787 )

	Range : Northeastern Pacific Ocean, 45 54' N, 125 05'W ( BCMP 71-194)	126-3230m
	Refer : Baxter #760
	Lea & Rosenblatt, 1987:51, fig.1

	Dark brownish.
	Body elongate, compressed; maxillary extends to mid eye; interorbital space convex;
	filamentous tail.
	Last dorsal spine longest; distance from base of pectoral fin to lateral line is greater,
	120.9%, than distance from pectoral fin base to posterior edge of operculum.
	Single lateral line, pores small and numerous; body scaled with numerous small scales.
	Palatine with 2 or more tooth rows; lower jaw with 2 tooth rows, upper with 1.

TL	575; 525g	D	VIII-XII 2	Head L	14.7 – 17.3% SL
SL =	97.0 – 98.4% TL	A	XIII-XVII 115-127	Body D	9.3 – 13.1% SL
LLc	1	Pec	12-16: 42-52% HL	PreD L	38.8 – 40.4% SL
LLp	+++	Pel	III 6-7: 28-37% HL	PreA L	40.5 – 47.0% SL
Ls	113-126	Caudal	5	Snout L	21.4 – 26.7% HL
Ds ++ ;	Vs ++	BR	7-11	Up Jaw L	25.0 – 39.1% HL
GR	2-5 + 1 + 11 = 17	Pseudobr		Orbit L	15.3 – 22.1% HL
	= 13-17	Vomer teeth	15.9% HL	Eye L	11.4 – 18.5% HL
GR L	3.3 – 6.8% HL	Palatine teeth		InOrb W	9.4% HL
Caeca	6
Vert	51-55 +
	171-180 = 225 -234

- Dorsal spines more than XXX

(2)

2 (1)	- Distance from base of pectoral fin to lateral line is about same distance as from base of pectoral
	to posterior edge of operculum.

Polyacanthonotus altus ( Gill & Townsend, 1897 )

notacanthid

	Range : Bering Sea
	Refer : NODC #8740300201

TL		D	XXXII	Head L	12.4% SL
SL	- 460	A	LII, 125	Body D	10.4% SL
LLc	1	Pec	14 : 37% H	PreD L	% SL
LLp		Pel	I 9 : 31% HL	PreA L	% SL
GR		C		Snout L	28.8 % HL
Caeca		Br		Max L	% HL
Vert		Pseudobr		Up Jaw L	18.4% HL
		Vomer teeth		Orbit L	% HL
		Palatine teeth		Eye L	13.5% HL
				InOrb W	9.4% HL

2	- Distance from base of pectoral to lateral line is less than distance from pectoral base to
	posterior edge of operculum.	(3)

Polyacanthonotus challengeri ( Vaillant, 1888 )

longnose tapirfish

	Range : Bering Sea – British Columbia; Japan	1260-3429m
	Refer : Amaoka et al 1983:177, fig.27
	Hart 1973:92
	Notes : NODC #8743030203

	Body cream to fairly pink, possibly with light brown markings; black on posterior
	margins of anal and caudal fins; black on posterior edge of gill cover; oral and gill cavities
	and part of peritoneum black.
	Body elongate, compressed; mouth inferior.
	Dorsal fin as isoloated spines; anal fin long, of spines and rays; caudal filamentous.

TL	- 520	A	XXXII-XXXVII	Head L	13.2 – 14.5% SL
LLc	1	D	XXXIII-XXXIX	Body D	7.1 – 82% SL
LLp	++		120-140	PreD L	% SL
Ls	123-139	Pec	11-14; 34-40% HL	PreA L	34.8 – 36.3% SL
GR	3-4 + 7-10=10-14	Pel	I, 8-13; 30-38% HL	Snout L	29.3 – 34.0% HL
Pyloric caeca		C	5	Max L	% HL
Vert	55-62 + 187 =	Br	5	Up Jaw L	17.0 – 17.8% HL
	= 242-244	Pseudobr		Orbit L	% HL
		Vomer teeth		Eye L	14.1% HL
		Palatine teeth	+	InOrb W	9.3 – 13.7% HL

3	- Eye small, 14.1 percent of head length; interorbital width 7.7 percent of head length.

Polyacanthonotus longus ( Gill & Townsend, 1897 )

notacanthid

	Range : Bering Sea deep water
	Refer : NODC # 8743030202

TL	-	D	XXXIII	Head L	12.1% SL
SL	- 526	A	LV, 111	Body D	7.9% SL
LLc	1	Pec	13: 32.6% HL	PreD L	% SL
LLp		Pel	I 9: 30.9% HL	PreA L	% SL
Gr		C		Snout L	% HL
Pyloric Caeca		Br		Max L	% HL
Vert		Pseudobr		Up Jaw L	18.5% HL
		Vomer teeth		Orbit L	% HL
		Palatine teeth		Eye L	14.1% HL
				InOrb W	7.7% HL