Alligatorfish Explained

The alligatorfish (Aspidophoroides monopterygius), also known commonly as the Aleutian alligatorfish and the Atlantic alligatorfish,[1] is a fish in the family Agonidae.[2] It was described by Marcus Elieser Bloch in 1786.[3] It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling fish which is known from the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, including western Greenland; Labrador, Canada; and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. It dwells at a depth range of 0–695 metres, most often around 60–150 m, and inhabits sand and mud bottoms mostly on the lower continental shelf all year. It prefers a temperature range of -1.07 to 2.52 °C. Males can reach a maximum total length of 22 centimetres, but more commonly reach a TL of 14.2 cm.[2]

The Alligatorfish is preyed on by the Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) and the Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis).[4] Its own diet consists primarily of benthic crustaceans and bottom fauna.[5]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.fishbase.org/comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=4157&GenusName=Aspidophoroides&SpeciesName=monopterygius&StockCode=4353 Common names for Aspidophoroides monopterygius
  2. http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Aspidophoroides-monopterygius.html Aspidophoroides monopterygius
  3. Bloch, M. E., 1786 [ref. 465] Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische. Berlin. v. 2: i-viii + 1-160, Pls. 145-180.
  4. http://www.fishbase.org/TrophicEco/PredatorList.php?ID=4157&GenusName=Aspidophoroides&SpeciesName=monopterygius Organisms preying on Aspidophoroides monopterygius
  5. http://www.fishbase.org/TrophicEco/FoodItemsList.php?vstockcode=4353&genus=Aspidophoroides&species=monopterygius Food items reported for Aspidophoroides monopterygius