Kingdom Animalia Family Ophidiidae Rank Species | Class Actinopterygii Phylum Chordata Order Ophidiiformes | |
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Genus Acanthonus
Günther, 1878 Similar Bassozetus, Abyssobrotula galatheae, Abyssobrotula, Ophidiiformes, Cusk‑eels | ||
bony eared assfish acanthonus armatus
Acanthonus armatus, the bony-eared assfish, is a bathypelagic species of cusk-eel found in tropical and sub-tropical oceans at depths of from 1,171 to 4,415 metres (3,842 to 14,485 ft). It has been found as far north as Queen Charlotte Sound off British Columbia's coast. This species grows to a length of 37.5 centimetres (14.8 in) SL. It is the only known member of its genus.
It holds the record for the smallest brain-to-body weight ratio of all vertebrates.
Like many other creatures that dwell in the depths of the sea, the bodies of assfish are soft and flabby, and their skeletons are light and reduced. This is likely to have resulted from a lack of food and the high pressures which accompany living at such a depth, making it difficult to generate muscle and bone.
