Brotulotaenia crassa Parr, 1934
Violet cuskeel
Blue cusk eel
Brotulotaenia crassa
photo by SFSA

Family:  Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels), subfamily: Brotulotaeniinae
Max. size:  86 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 249 - 1100 m
Distribution:  Eastern Atlantic: Morocco, and rare from off Western Europe and off South Africa. Western Atlantic: around the West Indies. Also known from the Indian Ocean (Ref. 34024).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 119-134; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 98-108. Scales small, non-imbricate prickles; opercle with no spine; median basibranchial tooth patch absent; gill rakers are tooth-bearing tubercles; otolith very small and rounded; precaudal vertebrae 12-15 (Ref. 34024).
Biology:  Uncommon species (Ref. 34024). Mesopelagic species (Ref. 75154). Oviparous, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 57178.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 11 October 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:  First record in the Chathams Island (Ref. 45493). Recorded as scarce in the Northeastern and Eastern Chatham Rise (Ref. 87166).Voucher specimen(s) held at the NMNZ. Not supported by Ref. 34024.


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