Loss of gill rakers and teeth in adult specimens of barracudina Arctozenus risso (Aulopiformes: Paralepididae) from the western North Atlantic

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Devine, Brynn, Van Guelpen, Lou
• Other Authors: Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Research and Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2020
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jfb.14559; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jfb.14559; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/jfb.14559

Abstract 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.