Monognathus

Monognathus, or onejaw, is the only genus of the family Monognathidae of deep-sea eels. The name comes from the Greek monos meaning “one” and gnathos meaning “jaw”, a reference to the large mouth in comparison with the rest of the fish, and also the absence of an upper jaw (maxilla and premaxilla bones are absent).[1]

Monognathus
M. jesperseni
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Monognathidae
Genus: Monognathus
Bertin, 1936
Species

15, see text.

Description

The dorsal and anal fins lack bony supports and the pectoral fins are missing. The snout has a fang connected to glands, which are venomous in adults.[2] These eels are virtually blind, with rudimentary eyes and small olfactory organs, although the male olfactory organs are enlarged, perhaps suggesting a method of "sniffing out" a mate.[1]

Typical lengths are from 4 to 10 cm (1.5–4 in), the maximum length recorded is 15.9 cm (6.3 in).

Distribution

They are found at depths of over 2,000 m (6,600 ft), and are found in all oceans.[3][1]

Species

The fifteen known species are:[3]

  • Monognathus ahlstromi Raju, 1974 (Paddletail onejaw)
  • Monognathus berteli J. G. Nielsen & Hartel, 1996.
  • Monognathus bertini Bertelsen & J. G. Nielsen, 1987.
  • Monognathus boehlkei Bertelsen & J. G. Nielsen, 1987.
  • Monognathus bruuni Bertin, 1936.
  • Monognathus herringi Bertelsen & J. G. Nielsen, 1987.
  • Monognathus isaacsi Raju, 1974.
  • Monognathus jesperseni Bertin, 1936.
  • Monognathus jesse Raju, 1974.
  • Monognathus nigeli Bertelsen & J. G. Nielsen, 1987.
  • Monognathus ozawai Bertelsen & J. G. Nielsen, 1987.
  • Monognathus rajui Bertelsen & J. G. Nielsen, 1987.
  • Monognathus rosenblatti Bertelsen & J. G. Nielsen, 1987.
  • Monognathus smithi Bertelsen & J. G. Nielsen, 1987.
  • Monognathus taningi Bertin, 1936.

References
  1. BÖHLKE, EUGENIA B.; BÖHLKE, JAMES E.; LEIBY, MARK M.; McCOSKER, JOHN E.; BERTELSEN, E.; ROBINS, CATHERINE H.; ROBINS, C. RICHARD; SMITH, DAVID G.; TIGHE, KENNETH A. (1989). Orders Anguilliformes and Saccopharyngiformes: Part 9, Volume 1. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-1-933789-19-4. JSTOR j.ctvbcd0dm.
  2. Poulsen, Jan Y.; Miller, Michael J.; Sado, Tetsuya; Hanel, Reinhold; Tsukamoto, Katsumi; Miya, Masaki (2018-07-25). "Resolving deep-sea pelagic saccopharyngiform eel mysteries: Identification of Neocyema and Monognathidae leptocephali and establishment of a new fish family "Neocyematidae" based on larvae, adults and mitogenomic gene orders". PLOS ONE. 13 (7): e0199982. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1399982P. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199982. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6059418. PMID 30044814.
  3. Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). "Monognathidae" in FishBase. June 2011 version.


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