Manefish

Caristius macropus

The mane perch ( Caristiidae ) are a family of related bass fish, which is found with 20 extant species in all oceans at depths of 100-3600 meters.

Features

Mane perches are 12 to 32 inches long and have a high-backed, laterally flattened body and a very blunt head. Their dorsal fin is very high with a long fin base and starts on the head. The anal fin has lost the hard jets and supported 17 to 22 soft rays. The pectoral fins have 16 to 21 fin rays. The long, of a hard and five soft rays assisted pelvic fins have their base before or immediately behind the pectoral fin base. The caudal fin has 15 split -fin rays. The number of Branchiostegalstrahlen is seven, which the vertebrae 35 to 40

Mane perch live with siphonophores, and also feed on parts of the same.

Inside systematics

There are four genera and 20 extant species:

• Subfamily Caristiinae genus Caristius Caristius barsukovi Kukuev et al., 2013.
• Caristius digitus Stevenson & Kenaley, 2013.
• Caristius fasciatus ( Borodin, 1930).
• Caristius groenlandicus Jensen, 1941.
• Caristius japonicus Gill & Smith, 1905.
• Caristius litvinovi Kukuev et al., 2013.
• Caristius macropus ( Bellotti, 1903).
• Caristius meridionalis Stevenson & Kenaley, 2013.
• Caristius walvisensis Kukuev et al., 2013.

• Platyberyx andriashevi ( Kukuev, Parin & Trunov, 2012).
• Platyberyx mauli Kukuev, Parin & Trunov, in 2012.
• Platyberyx opalescens Zugmayer, 1911.
• Platyberyx paucus Stevenson & Kenaley, 2013.
• Platyberyx Pietschi Stevenson & Kenaley, 2013.
• Platyberyx rhyton Stevenson & Kenaley, 2013.

• Genus Neocaristius Stevenson & Kenaley, 2011. Neocaristius heemstrai ( Trunov, Kukuev & Parin, 2006).

• Paracaristius AQUILUS Stevenson & Kenaley, 2011.
• Paracaristius maderensis ( Maul, 1949).
• Paracaristius nemorosus Stevenson & Kenaley, 2011.
• Paracaristius nudarcus Stevenson & Kenaley, 2011.

In addition to the extant genera have been described from the upper Miocene of southern California with Chalcidichthys David, 1943, an extinct genus.