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Loss of gill rakers and teeth in adult specimens of barracudina Arctozenus risso (Aulopiformes: Paralepididae) from the western North Atlantic
Author(s) -
Devine Brynn,
Van Guelpen Lou
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/jfb.14559
Subject(s) - biology , zoology , flemish , fish <actinopterygii> , genus , anatomy , fishery , archaeology , history
Two unusual adult specimens of the barracudina Arctozenus risso were caught in midwater trawls off the Flemish Cap in April 2016. These specimens displayed atypical traits including lack of teeth and gill rakers and fragile jaw bones; a combination of morphological examination and mtDNA sequencing confirmed species identification . Both specimens exhibited ripening ovaries and testes, confirming simultaneous hermaphroditism. These fish represent the first records of late‐stage loss of features in the genus Arctozenus and may indicate a relationship to spawning in larger specimens.