大西洋,インド洋および太平洋の暖海の深海。大西洋,太平洋では北緯46度から南緯47度の間。インド洋では赤道から南緯22度までの間の,水深600mから2,900mにかけて記録されている(Woods and Sonoda, 1973)。アルゼンチンでは北部の陸棚斜面の水深1,222mから採集された。
備 考:
1科1属1種と考えられ(Uyeno and Sato, 1983),記録された最大体長は15.2cm。
(稲田伊史)
Material examined:
3 from Argentina (114.4-122.1 mm SL), FSFL EM 283, 284, 910.
Description:
D 17-19; A 8-9; P1 14-16; P2 7; BR 8; GR 4-11+6-12=11-20; X 28.
HL 33.5-39.8% of SL; ED 5.9-9.8; BD 44.6-56.0; SN 10.0-12.9; IO 10.7-15.0; UJ 28.6-37.2; CP 8.5-9.5; P1L 23.7-27.7; P2L 19.0-21.7.
Body deep, heavy anteriorly, compressed posteriorly. Caudal peduncle relatively slender and tapering. Head deeper and short, suborbital area and cheek broad. Head with developed mucous cavities, covered by thin fragile membranes. Eye small. Fins without spines, except small spines at base of both caudal lobes. Mouth large, oblique. Upper jaw almost as long as head; posterior margin of upper jaw extending well posterior to eye; ascending premaxillary processes long and slender; supramaxilla present. Nostrils large. Three enlarged fang-like canine teeth on premaxillae, 4 on mandible; fang-like teeth long and not depressible in adults, short and depressible in young. Gill-rakers long and slender in juveniles; in adults, gill rakers short with 1-3 spinules of various length. Lateral line in a single groove bridged over at intervals by fused scales. Scales on side small, cup-shaped, with spines, not imbricated. Patches of rudimentary scales without spines on ventral surface. Body uniformly blackish or dark blackish brown.
Distribution:
Bathypelagic in Atlantic and Pacific oceans between 45°56′N and 45°56′S, and Indian Ocean between 0°-22°S. Bathymetric range 350-2,678 fathoms for adults (Woods and Sonoda, 1973). This species was caught in our survey at the depth of 1,222 m on the northern continental slope off Argentina.
Remarks:
This species is the sole member of the Anoplogasteridae. The recorded maximum length is 15.2 cm SL.
(Tadashi INADA)
Distribution of Anoplogaster cornuta in Patagonia.
Head in lateral view. Enlarged fang-like canine teeth arrowed.