Leuroglossus stilbius
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| Leuroglossus stilbius | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Argentiniformes |
| Family: | Bathylagidae |
| Genus: | Leuroglossus |
| Species: | L. stilbius |
| Binomial name | |
| Leuroglossus stilbius | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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The southern smoothtongue or California smoothtongue (Leuroglossus stilbius) is a type of ray-finned fish in the deep-sea smelt family Bathylagidae, that can grow to a length of 15 centimetres (6 in) TL. This fish is native to the northeastern Pacific Ocean from British Columbia to Oregon, and the Gulf of California where it is found at depths of 100 to 850 metres (300 to 2,800 ft).[2]
The California smoothtongue is a slender fish growing to a length of about 15 centimetres (6 in). The dorsal fin has 9 to 12 soft rays, the anal fin 11 to 14, the pectoral fin 8 to 9 and the pelvic fin 8 to 10. The dorsal fin is set well back on the body and the tail fin is deeply forked. The pectoral fins are small and positioned low down on the belly. The fish is darker above and paler below, being silvery or bronze with pale-coloured fins. A distinguishing feature of this fish is that the length of the pointed snout is greater than the diameter of the eye.[3] These fish are called "smoothtongue" because of their relative absence of teeth, with none on the premaxilla and tongue, and few on the jaws and the roof of the mouth.[4]
