Big-eyed cardinalfish
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| Big-eyed cardinalfish | ||||||||||||||
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.gif/180px-Epigonus_lenimen_(Big-eyed_Cardinalfish).gif) Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
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| Epigonus lenimen Whitley, 1935 |
The big-eyed cardinalfish, bigeye cardinalfish, or bigeye, Epigonus lenimen, is a deepwater cardinalfish of the genus Epigonus, found in southern temperate waters south of Australia, Madagascar, and New Zealand, at depths of between 500 and 800 m. Its length is between 10 and 18 cm.
The big-eyed cardinalfish is an elongate deepwater species having a pointed snout, long caudal peduncle, and two triangular-shaped dorsal fins mirrored by triangular pelvic and anal fins. Very large eyes dominate the head, and the mouth is full of minute teeth in each jaw and on the roof of the mouth.
Big-eyed cardinalfishes are slow swimmers and live near the bottom, feeding off small planktonic animals.
[edit] References
- Epigonus lenimen (TSN 168306). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 18 April 2006.
- "Epigonus lenimen". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
