Ophidiidae, Rafinesque, 1810

Priede, Imants G. & Jamieson, Alan J., 2025, Backward swimming in elongated-bodied abyssal demersal fishes: Synaphobranchidae, Macrouridae, and Ophidiidae, Journal of Fish Biology 107 (1), pp. 52-62 : 56

3.4 | Ophidiidae : B. iris

Two instances of backward swimming were recorded. At deployment 13, the nose of the fish was under the bait from where it retreated by swimming backward for three tail beats, with synchronous movements of the pectoral fins before swimming forward after it had avoided the obstruction (Video S13). At deployment 14, the fish swam backward, ascending from the seafloor using pectoral fin sculling and passing waves along the body (Figure 5) for three tail beats (Video S14). Having completed its ascent, the fish resumed forward swimming. At 1.62 s (Figure 5) or 4 s into Video S14, there was a possible suction feeding event, with movements of the jaws and opercular apparatus.