Anomalopidae (Trachichthyiformes)

Moritz, Timo, Buchert, Jan & Schnell, Nalani K, 2019, Unexpected diversity of median caudal cartilages in teleosts, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186 (3), pp. 599-632 : 621

Anomalopidae (Trachichthyiformes) ( Fig. 21A–C )

In Anomalops katoptron there are two wellexpressed CMCs ( Fig. 21A, B ). Both are rather simple in their shape, just cap-like with a notch for their articulation on the hypurals. In posterior view they are like a bar and have about double the width of the hypural plates ( Fig. 21C ). The lower CMC is slightly larger than the upper one. The lowest ray of the upper caudal lobe articulates in the area, where the upper CMC sits on hypural 3. The uppermost ray of the lower lobe articulates on hypural 2 slightly distant from the lower CMC and thus this CMC seems not to be involved in supporting fin rays. There are no medially directed pegs on the bases of the central fin rays. We did not find CMCs in the other trachichthyiform families studied: Trachichthyidae , Diretmidae ( Fig. 21F ), Anoplogastridae and Monocentridae .

Figures

Figure 21. Cleared and stained caudal fins of Anomalopidae, Berycidae and Diretmidae: A–C, Anomalops katoptron (Anomalopidae), DMM IE/13721, 63.0 mm SL, overview lateral (A), CMCs, lateral view (B), CMCs, posterior-lateral view (C); D–E, Beryx splendens, DMM IE/13772, 111.0 mm SL, overview lateral (D), CMCs, lateral view (E); F, Diretmus argenteus, DMM IE/15071, 82.6 mm SL, overview lateral. Abbreviations: hu, hypural; l-cmc, lower median caudal cartilage; lfu, lowest ray of upper caudal lobe; phu, parhypural; ufl, upper most ray of lower caudal lobe; u-cmc, upper median caudal cartilage.