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Sparkling Slickhead
Rouleina eucla Whitley, 1940
Above and below: A 45 cm long Sparkling Slickhead trawled during the NORFANZ expedition at a depth between 1050 m and 1320 m, west of the Three Kings Islands, New Zealand, May 2003 (NMNZ P.38943). Specimens of this species were also retained for the Australian Museum collection (AMS I.42702-001). Photo: M. McGrouther © NORFANZ. View larger image.
The Sparkling Slickhead has a moderately elongate body with a single dorsal fin positioned posteriorly. It lacks scales with the exception of ring-like scales along the prominent lateral line. The snout is short and the eyes are very large. There are photophores scattered over the entire body.
This species is violet to black.
It grows to at least 26 cm in length.
The Sparkling Slickhead occurs near the seabed in continental slope depths. It is found in tropical and warm temperate waters of the Indo-west Pacific.
In Australia is is known from off northern Queensland, around the eastern and southern coasts of the country to off southern Western Australia.
The type specimens were collected off Eucla, Western Australia, hence the species name.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Related links
- View the Deepsea fish list
Further reading
- Glover, C.J.M. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992. (as R. squamilatera).
- Sazonov, Y.I. & D.F. Markle. Alepocephalidae. In Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 3. Batoid fishes, chimaeras and bony fishes part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-vi, 1398-2068.
- Sazonov, Y.I. & Williams, A. 2001. A review of the alepocephalid fishes (Argentiniformes, Alepocephalidae) from the continental slope of Australia: Part I. Journal of Ichthyology. 41(suppl. 1): 1-36.
