Louisiana pancake batfish
Encyclopedia
Louisiana pancake batfish, Halieutichthys intermedius, belongs to the Ogcocephalidae
family of batfish. It is native to the Gulf of Mexico
, and was discovered in 2010. Its entire range is covered by the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
.
to North Carolina
, the Louisiana pancake batfish is only found in the Gulf of Mexico
in a range entirely covered by the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
. They live at depths of up to 400 metres (1,312.3 ft). Although numbers are not precisely known, in the initial trawl which led to their discovery around 100,000 fish were caught; only three were pancake batfish.
in Taipei
, Taiwan
, discovered the Louisiana pancake batfish when he was visiting his colleague Prosanta Chakrabarty at the Louisiana State University
. They noted that the specimens of the pancake batfish
in the collection of the Baton Rouge Museum of Natural Sciences were actually three species, not a single one as previously thought. Trawling expeditions were conducted and consistent differences were identified in those found. They joined with John Sparks, of the American Museum of Natural History
in New York
to write the description that appeared in Journal of Fish Biology
.
Pancake batfish are so named from the flat shape of their bodies and from their motion on the sea bed, described as similar to a bat crawling. They have pelvic fins which act like feet, complete with elbows to hop along the sea floor. They feed on invertebrates, and uses chemical lures to catch prey. They are small enough to fit in the palm of a human hand and described as being as thick as a "fluffy pancake".
The Louisiana pancake batfish was named as one of the top ten new species of 2010 by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University
. John Sparks, credited as one of the discoverers of the species, said "If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about".
Ogcocephalidae
Ogcocephalidae is a family of bottom-dwelling, specially adapted fish. They are sometimes referred to as batfishes or anglerfishes. They are found in deep, lightless waters of the Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific Oceans....
family of batfish. It is native to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, and was discovered in 2010. Its entire range is covered by the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
.
Distribution and habitat
Originally thought to be a single species, these fish were determined in 2010 to be divided into three distinct species, the others being Halieutichthys aculeatus and Halieutichthys bispinosus. While the other batfish are found along the Atlantic coast from LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, the Louisiana pancake batfish is only found in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
in a range entirely covered by the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
. They live at depths of up to 400 metres (1,312.3 ft). Although numbers are not precisely known, in the initial trawl which led to their discovery around 100,000 fish were caught; only three were pancake batfish.
Description
Hsuan-Ching Ho, of the Academia SinicaAcademia Sinica
The Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...
in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, discovered the Louisiana pancake batfish when he was visiting his colleague Prosanta Chakrabarty at the Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. They noted that the specimens of the pancake batfish
Pancake batfish
The pancake batfish, Halieutichthys aculeatus, belongs to the family Ogcocephalidae of batfishes. Their distributrition includes western Atlantic, North Carolina, northern Gulf of Mexico to northern South America. They inhabit a subtropical, sandy, reef-associated, and 45–820 m deep...
in the collection of the Baton Rouge Museum of Natural Sciences were actually three species, not a single one as previously thought. Trawling expeditions were conducted and consistent differences were identified in those found. They joined with John Sparks, of the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to write the description that appeared in Journal of Fish Biology
Journal of Fish Biology
The Journal of Fish Biology covers all aspects of fish and fisheries biological research, both freshwater and marine. It is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is the official journal of The Fisheries Society of the British Isles....
.
Pancake batfish are so named from the flat shape of their bodies and from their motion on the sea bed, described as similar to a bat crawling. They have pelvic fins which act like feet, complete with elbows to hop along the sea floor. They feed on invertebrates, and uses chemical lures to catch prey. They are small enough to fit in the palm of a human hand and described as being as thick as a "fluffy pancake".
The Louisiana pancake batfish was named as one of the top ten new species of 2010 by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. John Sparks, credited as one of the discoverers of the species, said "If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about".