Stomias ferox explained

Stomias ferox is a subspecies of deep-sea fish in the family Stomiidae.[1] [2] [3]

Description

Stomias ferox has an elongated body and small head;[4] it is up to in length, black underneath and iridescent silver on its flanks, with a barbel that has a pale stem, dark spot at base of bulb and three blackish filaments.[5] [6] It has six rows of hexagonal areas above a lateral series of large photophores.[7] The dorsal and anal fins are opposite each other, just anterior to the caudal fin.[8] It can be distinguished from the S. boa boa subspecies by its larger number of photophores.[9]

Name

The subspecies name ferox means "wild, ferocious." It is sometimes called dragon-boa, dragonfish or boa dragonfish,[10] [11] but those names are equally applied to Stomias boa as a species, or the S. boa boa subspecies. In Icelandic it is marsnákur ("sea snake") and in Norwegian storkjeft ("big jaw").[12] [13]

Distribution and habitat

Stomias ferox is mesopelagic and bathypelagic, living at depths of, concentrated in the north Atlantic.[14] [15]

Diet

Stomias ferox eats midwater fishes and crustaceans; it rises to near the surface to feed at night.[6] It positions itself horizontally in the water column with pelvic and pectoral fins spread wide and barbel pointing forward.[16]

Reproduction

Stomias ferox is oviparous.[17] [18]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Marine Fishes of Arctic Canada. Brian W.. Coad. James D.. Reist. January 1, 2018. University of Toronto Press. 9781442647107. Google Books.
  2. Web site: Tables of Spherical Harmonics. Hjalmar. Tallqvist. November 4, 1957. Elanders boktr.. Google Books.
  3. Book: The Azores Marine Ecosystem: An Open Window Into North Atlantic Open Ocean and Deep-Sea Environments. Telmo. Morato. Mónica Almeida. Silva. Gui Manuel Machado. Menezes. Ricardo Serrão. Santos. Pedro. Afonso. Tony J.. Pitcher. January 25, 2021. Frontiers Media SA. 9782889664283. Google Books.
  4. Book: Fish atlas of the Celtic Sea, North Sea, and Baltic Sea: Based on international research-vessel surveys. Henk J. L.. Heessen. Niels. Daan. Jim R.. Ellis. September 1, 2015. Wageningen Academic Publishers. 9789086868780. Google Books.
  5. Web site: Marine Species Identification Portal : Stomias boa. species-identification.org.
  6. Web site: Stomias boa, Boa dragonfish. www.fishbase.se.
  7. Web site: Stomias boa | NBN Atlas. species.nbnatlas.org.
  8. Web site: Stomias boa. fishesofaustralia.net.au.
  9. Book: Marine Fishes of Arctic Canada. Brian W.. Coad. James D.. Reist. January 1, 2018. University of Toronto Press. 9781442647107. Google Books.
  10. Book: Advances in Marine Biology. June 2, 2005. Academic Press. 9780080524504. Google Books.
  11. Web site: NOAA Technical Report NMFS SSRF.. November 4, 1974. National Marine Fisheries Service. Google Books.
  12. Web site: Stomias boa ferox Reinhardt, 1842 - Ocean Biodiversity Information System. obis.org.
  13. Web site: Boa dragonfish - Stomias boa ferox - Reinhardt, 1842. eunis.eea.europa.eu.
  14. Web site: Stomias boa ferox Reinhardt, 1842. www.gbif.org.
  15. Web site: Stomias ferox. www.fishbase.de.
  16. Book: Fishes of the Gulf of Maine. Henry Bryant. Bigelow. William Charles. Schroeder. November 4, 1953. U.S. Government Printing Office. 9780598917881. Google Books.
  17. Web site: Collected Reprints. November 3, 1987. The Center. Google Books.
  18. Web site: Biology. November 4, 1918. A.F. Høst. Google Books.

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