Family Icosteidae

by. Nolvyhindarto,S.Si_Encartablog_Animals

Ragfish

Selected Characters: Body compressed and limp; scales absent in adults.

There is only one species in this family, which is found only along the west coast of North America. The Ragfish grows to 2 meters or more, and undergoes a remarkable metamorphosis from juvenile to adult. The juvenile is deeper-bodied, has pelvic fins and a rounded caudal fin, and is yellow and brown with dark blotches. The adult lacks pelvic fins, has a slightly forked caudal, and has a solid brown coloration. The body is limp because the skeleton is largely cartilaginous. Ragfish eat cephalopods and small fishes, and are in turn eaten by sperm whales. They are not common in Puget Sound.

Species

Icosteus aenigmaticus Ragfish

Retrieved from:” http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/collections/ichthyology”