Bothrocara brunneum, the twoline eelpout, is a bathydemersal species of fish of the family Zoarcidae.[1] The species is the only fish of the eelpouts to have two lateral lines and short blunt-ended gill rakers.[2] The species has a wide range across the northeastern Pacific Ocean, between the Bering Sea and the shores of San Francisco,[3] and from Attu Island to the Baja California Peninsula.[1]
| Bothrocara brunneum | |
|---|---|
| B. brunneum swimming by a seabed. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: | Zoarcidae |
| Genus: | Bothrocara |
| Species: | B. brunneum |
| Binomial name | |
| Bothrocara brunneum (T. H. Bean, 1890)[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
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It inhabits the bottom of seas or oceans and is generally found in a depth ranging between 2,000 feet (610 m) and 6,000 feet (1,829 m).[3] It has been hypothesized from an analysis of stomach content that the species feeds mainly on bottom-dwelling creatures.[3] Etymologically, Bothrocara stands for "cavity head" and brunneum for "brown", named respectively after the appearance of the head and the tinted brown colour of the body.[4] It was named "twoline eelpout" for its unique two lateral lines.
The twoline eelpout has been found to have two lateral lines, the only one of its family, and also has a small blunt-ended gill raker.[2] Its dorsal and anal fins are covered in a gelatinous tissue.[1] Twoline eelpouts are bathydemersal (below 650 feet),[1] and can generally be found at a depth between 2,000 feet (610 m) and 6,000 feet (1,829 m).[3] The fecundity is about 215–329 eggs for females measuring 414–617 mm (16.3–24.3 in) total length.[5]
It has been hypothesized that, judging by an analysis of stomach content, the species feeds primarily on bottom-dwelling creatures, habitually eating anything it comes across that has food value and that is small enough to ingest.[3]
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