Gelatinous Snailfish: Liparis fabricii Krøyer, 1847
The most offshore-distributed of the snailfishes in the Arctic
Size
- 20 cm (8 in)
Color & Characteristics
- Black peritoneum and more than 36 anal fin rays, relatively large eyes and simple unlobed teeth in the inner portion of the jaws
- Distinquished from other arctic Liparis that have have pale peritoneum, fewer than 36 anal fin rays, small eyes and trilobed teeth
Habitat
- Arctic faunal region
- Benthic and pelagic, at depths of 20–1,880 m
- Near shore to beneath pack ice and deep in the water column to 520 m or more over bottom depths of more than 2.5 km and temperatures < 0°C
- Usually > 20 km offshore at depths > 50 m
Feeding
- Feeds on small benthic and pelagic crustaceans, mainly hyperiid amphipods.
- Eaten by other fishes (e.g., Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua) and seabirds
Life cycle
- Little known
- Large ovarian eggs (2.1–2.7 mm) are spawned in autumn; 485–735 large eggs in Kara Sea females
- Larvae pelagic
Page Authors: Kitty and Tony Mecklenburg
Updated: Feb 20, 2009
