- Ragfish
Taxobox
name = Ragfish
image_width = 200px
image_caption = Juvenile (top) and adult
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Chordata
classis =Actinopterygii
ordo =Perciform es
familia = Icosteidae
genus = "Icosteus"
species = "I. aenigmaticus"
binomial = "Icosteus aenigmaticus"
binomial_authority = Lockington,1880 The ragfish, "Icosteus aenigmaticus" (Lockington, 1880), is an oddray-finned fish of the northernPacific Ocean ; although aperciform , itsskeleton is mostlycartilage , and thelarva e havepelvic fin s that disappear as they mature. It is the sole member of the family Icosteidae, and some authorities place it into its own order Icosteiformes.The ragfish body is scaleless and limp, both because of the cartilaginous skeleton, as well as its flabby muscles. None of the fins have any spines. The dorsal and
anal fin s extend much of the length of the body, while the pelvic fins are absent. The coloration is generally a dark brown, and maximum known length is two meters.Ragfishes are found in deeper waters out to sea, and are said to eat other fish,
squid , andoctopus , although recent catches show no squid beaks but large amounts ofjellyfish .The larvae make a remarkable transformation as they mature; the
caudal fin shrinks, and the pelvic fins disappear.References
*
External links
* [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?id=3929 FishBase info for ragfish]
* [http://www.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/annotated/checklists/Icosteidae.pdf Cal Academy checklist report, September 2003 (PDF)]
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