Bathysauridae
Encyclopedia
The Bathysauridae are a small family of deep water aulopiform
fish, related to the telescopefish
es. There are just two species in the family, both belonging to the genus Bathysaurus. Commonly called deepwater lizardfishes or "deepsea lizardfishes", the latter name usually refers to the species
B. ferox specifically.
Physically, the bathysaurids resemble the lizardfishes, a fact reflected in their common names. They can be distinguished from the lizardfishes by possessing flatter heads and curved and barbed teeth. They are moderately sized fish, up to 78 centimetres (30.7 in) in length.
Bathysaurids inhabit the deep oceans, below 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft) depth.
Their larva
e were originally believed to represent a distinct genus (Macristium) and even family.
Family Bathysauridae
Aulopiformes
Aulopiformes is an order of marine ray-finned fish consisting of some 15 extant and several prehistoric families with about 45 genera and over 230 species. The common names grinners, lizardfishes and allies or aulopiforms are sometimes used for this group...
fish, related to the telescopefish
Telescopefish
Telescopefish are small, deep-sea aulopiform fish comprising the small family Giganturidae. There are just two known species, both within the genus Gigantura. Though rarely captured, they are found in cold, deep tropical to subtropical waters worldwide.The common name of these fish are...
es. There are just two species in the family, both belonging to the genus Bathysaurus. Commonly called deepwater lizardfishes or "deepsea lizardfishes", the latter name usually refers to the species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
B. ferox specifically.
Physically, the bathysaurids resemble the lizardfishes, a fact reflected in their common names. They can be distinguished from the lizardfishes by possessing flatter heads and curved and barbed teeth. They are moderately sized fish, up to 78 centimetres (30.7 in) in length.
Bathysaurids inhabit the deep oceans, below 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft) depth.
Their larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e were originally believed to represent a distinct genus (Macristium) and even family.
Species
There are just two species of bathysaurid:Family Bathysauridae
- Genus Bathysaurus
- Bathysaurus ferox - Deep-sea Lizardfish
- Bathysaurus mollisBathysaurus mollisBathysaurus mollis is a species of fish in the Bathysauridae family. It also commonly goes by the name of bathysaur or highfin lizardfish.-References:...
- Highfin Lizardfish