Chionodraco

Chionodraco is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Channichthyidae, the crocodile icefishes. They are found in the Southern Ocean.

Chionodraco
C. hamatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Channichthyidae
Genus: Chionodraco
Lönnberg, 1906
Type species
Chionodraco hamatus
Lönnberg, 1905

Taxonomy

Chionodraco was first described as a genus in 1905 by the Swedish zoologist Einar Lönnberg when he described the Chaenichthys hamatus which he subsequently placed in a new monotypic genus.[1] The genus name is a compound of chionos meaning "snow" and draco which means "dragon", Lönnberg did not explain this but it may allude to a relationship with the genus Cryodraco.[2]

Species

There are currently three recognized species in this genus:[3]

Characteristics

Chionodraco icefishes may have the spine on the snout present or it is reduced to a small centrally placed knob. The gill rakers may bear teeth or are vestigial. The upper and lower jaws are of equal length, although the lower jaw may protrude. There are robust spines on the operculum with the other opercular bones each having a pair of spines where they join. The first and second dorsal fins are separate and there are three lateral lines. In the pelvic fin the outermost pair of fin rays are the longest and the tips are covered in thickened skin. The caudal fin is rounded.[4] The maximum total length of these fishes varies from 38 cm (15 in) in C. myersi to 52 cm (20 in) in C. rastrospinosus.[3]

Distribution and habitat

Chionodraco contains two circum-antarctic species and one which is apparently confined to West Antarctica.[4] They are demersal and pelagic fishes found on the continental shelf and slope.[3]

Biology

Chionodraco icefishes are predatory, feeding on other fish species and on krill. They have a long post larval pelagic phase.[3] In common with many other channichthyid fishes, reproduction in Chionodraco hamatus involves laying eggs in a nest and parental guarding. Similar morphological features suggest that at least Chionodraco rastrospinosus has similar reproductive behaviours.[5]

Fisheries

Chionodraco icefishes are targeted by some commercial fisheries and are also taken as bycatch.[4]

References
  1. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Channichthyidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  2. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 April 2021). "Order Perciformes: Suborder Notothenoididei: Families Bovichtidae, Pseaudaphritidae, Elegopinidae, Nototheniidae, Harpagiferidae, Artedidraconidae, Bathydraconidae, Channichthyidae and Percophidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  3. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2021). Species of Chionodraco in FishBase. June 2021 version.
  4. T. Iwami and K-H Koch (1990). "Channicthyidae Icefishes". In O. Gon and P.C. Heemstra (eds.). Fishes of the Southern Ocean. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. ISBN 9780868102115.
  5. Ferrando, S.; Castellano, L.; Gallus, L.; Ghigliotti, L.; Masini, M. A.; Pisano, E. & Vacchi, M. (2014). "A demonstration of nesting in two Antarctic icefish (genus Chionodraco) using a fin dimorphism analysis and ex situ videos". PLOS ONE. 9 (3): e90512. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...990512F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0090512. PMC 3944016. PMID 24598889.
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