Crested oarfish explained

The crested oarfish (Lophotus lacepede) is a species of crestfish in the family Lophotidae. It is an oceanodromous fish ranging from waters 0–92 meters deep, but may get stranded in shallow waters.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Distribution and habitat

The crested oarfish lives in warm seas near areas such as the Western Atlantic, Western Indian Ocean, Eastern Atlantic, and the Eastern Pacific within the oceanic and mesopelagic zone.

Description and ecology

The crested oarfish has maximum length of 200 centimeters, but are often are only found at 100 centimeters in length. It has an ink sack near the cloaca, and discharges ink out of it when it feels alarmed. Its prey consists of squids and fishes such as anchovies. It is oviparous, and lays planktonic eggs.^[5]

Conservation

The crested oarfish are likely found in marine protected areas, and has no known major threats towards it. No specific conservation measures have been made, and IUCN Red List has classified the fish as a 'least concern' species.

Synonymised names

Placed by the WoRMS.^[6]

• Leptopus peregrinus Rafinesque, 1814
• Lophotes cristatus Johnson, 1863 (misspelling)
• Lophotus cepedianus Cloquet, 1823
• Lophotus cristatus Johnson, 1863
• Lophotus lacepedei Giorna, 1809 (misspelling)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lophotus lacepede summary page. FishBase. 2019-03-03.
2. Web site: Taxonomy Browser . www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov . . U.S. . 2019-03-03.
3. Ahnelt . Harald . Dulčić . Jakov . How many specimens of the crested oarfish, Lophotus lacepede Giorna, 1809 (Pisces: Lophotidae), were caught in the Adriatic Sea? . Acta Adriatica . 2007 . 48 . 1 . 39–43 . en.
4. Economidis . Panos S. . Karidas . Theofanis . Minos . George . Range extension for crested oarfish Lophotus lacepede Giorna, 1809 in the waters of the northern Aegean Sea, Greece . Acta Adriatica . 2015 . 56 . 2 . 283–289 . en.
5. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019-03-03.
6. Web site: WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Lophotus lacepede Giorna, 1809. www.marinespecies.org. 2019-04-13.