Sawing bellies

Those Sawing bellies (Trachichthyidae) (from the Greek trachys ("roughly") and ichthys ("fish")) live in the deep sea in moderate to tropical regions of Atlantic and Indopazifik. They are called because of their stinging leagues sheds at the ventral side of sawing bellies. Those Family contains 33 Kinds in eight Kinds.

Appearance

Sawing bellies have a hochrueckigen, laterally squeezed together body, large heads. The collateral line continues in the form of schleimgefuellten gutters at the head. The kinds of the kinds Optivus, Paratrachichthys and Sorosichthys differ from other members of the family by their more extended body.

The individual dorsal fin has 3 to 8 hard jets and 10 to 19 soft jets, the anal fin has 2 to 3 hard jets and 8 to 12 soft jets. Also the pelvic fins are supported by a Harstrahl. Sawing bellies have Ctenoidschuppen. The collateral line is geschuezt by increased sheds.

Living sawing bellies are light red also equivalent fins, silver, or dark grey to black with transparent fins.

Some kinds z.B. Aulotrachichthys latus can with the help of more symbiotischer Bacteria bioluminescentes Light produce.

The largest kind is Hoplostethus atlanticus with a maximum length of 75 centimeters and a weight of 7 kilograms, however most sawing bellies remain under 30 centimeters.

Behavior

Most sawing bellies are slow-acting animals and spend most time close of the continental slopes in depths of approx.. 100 to 1,500 meters with normally rocky undergrounds.

The slimmer kinds are more active and live flatter regions. Optivuse longatus lives in flatter territorial waters, is however night active and hides themselves during the day in rock columns. The hochrueckige Trachichthys australis lives in the same habitat and resembles a soldier fish.

Sawing bellies live of Zooplankton like small crustaceans and fish larvae. Do not find they to enough food, thus the metabolism changes, they live on reserves, and lose pigmentation.

Some kinds form sporadically around geological structures like submarine ravines and mountains close swarms. Perhaps there is a higher density their booty there due to of currents.

Reproduction

Sawing bellies laichen pelagisch, they collect themselves in groups and give sperm cellses and Eizellen to the free water. The fertilized eggs and the larvae are later planktonisch. With the economically meaning kinds hold themselves the larvae of Gephyroberyx darwinii in the flat water up, while of Hoplostethus atlanticus in deeper water of approx.. 200 meters live.

Sawing bellies are very long-lived and grow also slowly. With one Hoplostethus atlanticus allegedly an age was determined by 149 years.

Fishery

The larger kinds Hoplostethus atlanticus and Gephyroberyx darwinii in the seas around Australia and New Zealand are commercially fished. Hoplostethus atlanticus a food fish is and as a fresh fish or is frozen sold. Gephyroberyx darwinii to fish flour one converts. Since the animals only slowly increase apply the existence as endangered.

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