Notacanthidae
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Deep-sea spiny eels
Snubnosed spiny eel, Notacanthus chemnitzii.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Notacanthiformes Family: Notacanthidae
Genera
Lipogenys Notacanthus Polyacanthonotus See text for species.

The deep-sea spiny eels are a family, Notacanthidae, of fishes found below 125 meters, and going as deep as 3500 m. Their bodies are greatly elongated, though more tapered than for true eels. The caudal fin is small or nonexistent, while the anal fin is lengthy, as long as half of the total body length.

There are eleven species in three genera:

• Genus Lipogenys
  • Lipogenys gillii Goode & Bean, 1895
• Genus Notacanthus
  • Notacanthus abbotti Fowler, 1934
  • Shortfin spiny eel, Notacanthus bonaparte Risso, 1840
  • Snubnosed spiny eel, Notacanthus chemnitzii Bloch, 1788
  • Notacanthus indicus Lloyd, 1909
  • Spiny-back eel, Notacanthus sexspinis Richardson, 1846
  • Notacanthus spinosus Garman, 1899
• Genus Polyacanthonotus
  • Polyacanthonotus africanus (Gilchrist & von Bonde, 1924)
  • Longnose tapirfish, Polyacanthonotus challengeri (Vaillant, 1888)
  • Polyacanthonotus merretti Sulak, Crabtree & Hureau, 1984
  • Smallmouth spiny eel, Polyacanthonotus rissoanus (De Filippi & Verany, 1857)

References

• "Notacanthidae". FishBase. Ed. Rainer Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.