Neocyematidae is a family of fishes in the order Anguilliformes.[1] This family, established from five described adult specimens of the species Neocyema erythrosoma, was originally thought to be a part of the family Cyematidae, until genomic sequencing in 2018 refuted this relationship.[2]
| Neocyematidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Adult Neocyema erythrosoma | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Suborder: | Anguilloidei |
| Family: | Neocyematidae Poulsen et al., 2018 |
| Genera | |
| |
Description
editNeocyema is known for its vivid orange color and paedomorphic life cycle.[3] One distinguishing feature of this group are the semi-extended jaws, which separate it from Cyematidae. The eyes of the adult form are reduced during the transition from larvae to adulthood, indicating a likelihood of blindness.[2] The larval stage displays no black colorings, in contrast to the larval stages of other saccopharyngiformes, and look similar to the orders of Eupharynx and Saccopharynx, whereas the adult stage more resembles Cyema.
Distribution
editNeocyema erythrosoma has currently only been observed in the North and South Atlantic Ocean, but its larvae have been discovered in the Sargasso Sea.[2]
References
edit- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Neocyematidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ a b c Poulsen, Jan Y.; Miller, Michael J.; Sado, Tetsuya; Hanel, Reinhold; Tsukamoto, Katsumi; Miya, Masaki (2018-07-25). "Resolving deep-sea pelagic saccopharyngiform eel mysteries: Identification of Neocyema and Monognathidae leptocephali and establishment of a new fish family "Neocyematidae" based on larvae, adults and mitogenomic gene orders". PLOS ONE. 13 (7): e0199982. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1399982P. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199982. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6059418. PMID 30044814.
- ^ DeVaney, Shannon C.; Hartel, Karsten E.; Themelis, Daphne E. (September 2009). "The First Records of Neocyema (Teleostei: Saccopharyngiformes) in the Western North Atlantic with Comments on Its Relationship to Leptocephalus holti Schmidt 1909". Northeastern Naturalist. 16 (3): 409–414. doi:10.1656/045.016.n308. ISSN 1092-6194. S2CID 84115524.