Elasmobranchs

Rajidae (SRX)

Bathyraja spp. (BHY)

Soft nosed rays

Raja spp. (RAJ)

Hardnosed Rays

Somniosus microcephalus (GSK)

Anal fin present

Lateral keel

Elasmobranch 1U

sual

ly la

rge

(> 1

m)

Etmopterus lucifer (ETF)

Dark colour

Usually small (<40cm)

No anal fin

Spines on both dorsal fins

Eye very small No spines on dorsal fins

No anal fin

Elephant fish Callorhinchidae (CAH)

see sheet ‘Rajid 1’

Shortnose chimaeras or ratfishes Hydrolagus spp. (HYD)

Longnose chimaeras Rhinochimaera spp. (RHC)

Chimaeras

All have two dorsal fins, the first erectile with a short base and preceded by an erectile spine. Note snout and tail configuration.

Wide teeth with saw-like edges

Narrow teeth with long points

Lamna nasus (POR)

Extremities of pectoral fin rays

Rostral process delicate and flexible

Rostral process stout

Extremities of pectoral fin rays

R. georgiana (SRR)

R. georgoana variant (SR2)

R. taaf (RFA)

16-28 thorns median row

16-28 thorns median row

15-20 thorns median row

Raja (Hard nosed Rays)Rajid 1

Bathyraja (Soft nosed Rays)Underside pale

9 - 15 thorns midline of tail

only

12 - 26 thorns midline from nape to tail

B. maccaini (BAM)

B. murrayi (BMU)

B. eatonii (BEA) No pre or post

orbital thorns

8 - 18 thorns midline of tail

only

S

S

RR

Underside pigmented

U R9 - 23 thorns on midline of

tail

B. irrasa (BYR)

37 - 39 thorns in continuous median

row

No pre or post orbital thorns

B. meridionalis (BYE)

NOTES

R = rough, S = smooth, UR = uniformly rough (unshaven feel)Arrows indicate non median thorns or groups of thorns

Dorsal views to show distribution of thorns, Ventral views (smaller) to show pigmentation

Upper surface of pelvic fins under disc often pale

R

dark underside

White patches (variable size)

Histiobranchus bathybius(HIB)

Muraenolepis spp. (MRL)see sheet ‘Teleost 5’

Macrourus spp. (GRV)see sheet ‘Teleost 2’

Dorsal, ventral and tail fins appear combined

One dorsal fin

First dorsal a ‘filament’

Two dorsal fins

Obvious tail

Prominent snout

Mouth inferior, mental barbelAnal fin in two parts

Antimora rostrata(ANT)

Halargyreus johnsonii (MHJ)

Nototheniidae (NOX)see sheet ‘Teleost 3’

Bathydraconidae

Channichthyidae (ICX) see sheet ‘Teleost 4’

White gills

Two dorsal fins

Two dorsal fins

One dorsal finRed gills

No Obvious tail

Sw

imb

lad

der

pre

sen

t -

stom

ach

usua

lly

ever

ted

thro

ugh

mou

th w

hen

brou

ght u

p fr

om d

epth

No

Sw

imb

lad

der

No pelvic fins

Barbel

Pelvic fins ‘filaments’

Head ‘flat’

No scales

Teleost 1

Mouth terminal, no mental barbel

Always scaled

Sometimes scaled

No scales

Scales present but skin feels smooth

Obvious scales

Opahs: Lampris immaculatus (LAI). Unmistakable, body coloured blue-grey and looks ‘powerful’, fins bright orange

Slickheads: Alepocephalus spp. (ALH). Dorsal and

Ventral fin bases opposite, no swimbladder.

Macrouridae (Grenadiers)

Large fang-like teeth, mouth terminal

Black all over

Cynomacrurus piriei (MNI)

Leading edge of First Dorsal smooth

Caelorinchus spp.

Leading edge of first dorsal serrated

C. marinii (CEH)

C. fasciatus (CQF)

Ridge from snout to pre-opercle ends in sharp point posteriorly, eyes large (NB species are difficult to distinguish)

Macrourus spp. (GRV)

Infra-orbital ridge, if present, never ending in spine, eyes small, row of teeth in lower jaw

Coryphaenoides spp. (CVY)

C. filicauda

C. ferrieri

C. armatus (CKH)

C. lecointei

M. carinatus (MCC)

M. holotrachys (MCH)

M. whitsoni (WGR)

Barbel thin and short,scales thin, fine and deciduous

Scales fairly firm and coarsely spinulated

Snout broad and blunt

No distinct terminal tubercle

Body scales deciduous covered with small fine spinules in parallel rows

Snout narrow and pointedwith distinct terminal spiny tubercle

No scales on underside of head (NB there may be 1 -3 above corner of mouth)

Less than 27 scales in diagonal line

More than 27 scales in diagonal line

Teleost 2

Naked

Scaled

Scales

Position of Ventral fossa relative to Anus

Dissostichus mawsoni(TOA)

Dissostichus eleginoides (TOP)

Middle lateral line

Margins of fins often white

Margins of fins never white

Narrow inter-orbital “Bumphead”

Ctenoid (rough) scales

Notothenia rossii (NOR)

Lepidonotothen squamifrons (NOS)

NototheniidaeRed blood, two dorsal fins, scales on body

Dark grey transverse band on upper part of eye

Small villiform teeth, ctenoid scales over body and head,inter-orbital width narrow (< 12% head length)

Cycloid (smooth) scales over body, few scales on head,inter-orbital width wide (~30% head length)

Notothenia coriiceps (NOC)

Gvozdarus svetovidovi (GZV)

No scales on head except for small patch posterior to eye

Otolith

OtolithScales on head extensive

Teleost 3

Large canine-like teeth

No obvious middle lateral line

Lepidonotothen kempi (NOK)

Pectoral fins 21-24 rays

Pectoral fins 17-19 rays

Gobionotothen gibberifrons (NOG)

NotesA=Anal fin; P=Pelvic fin;

LL=Lateral Line; RS=Rostral Spine; SP=Spine

Chaenocephalus aceratus (SSI)

Channichthys rhinoceratus (LIC)

Pseudochaenichthys georgianus (SGI)

Channichthyidae (ICX)White blood and gills, two dorsal fins, no scales, opercular spines

Middle pelvic fin rays longest Leading pelvic fin rays longest, no spine on subopercle or interopercle

RS3 LL

RS

No RS

No RS

Head depth=Snout C. gunnari; Head depth < Snout C. esoxP 25-28; A 35-40 = C. gunnari; P22-24; A 31-35= C. esox

Spines on subopercle and interopercle, 3 LL

2 LL

2 LL with bony plates

Teleost 4

2LL

Chionodraco myersi (MIC)

Chionodraco hamatus (TIC) Chionodraco rastrospinosus(KIF)

RS blunt, reduced to Tubercle RS points backwards

Five pelvic fin rays,gill rakers dentigerous

SP

RS reduced to small knob or absent

3 LL

Chionobathyscus dewitti (CHW)

P Long (reaches A)

P Short (just reaches A)

3 LL

Cryodraco spp.

RS present, points forward

Chaenodraco wilsoni (WIC)

Four pelvic fin rays

3 LL

Five pelvic fin rays

Champsocephalus gunnari (ANI)

Resembles Chaenocephalus but has 3 LL

Five pelvic fin rays, gill rakers vestigial

Bothidae (Lefteye or Armless Flounders)

No pectoral finsFree pre-opercular margin

Achiropsetta tricholepis (HHJ)

Eye

Dorsal fin

Snout with pronounced

hump

Anus on ‘blind’ side of body

Anus on midline

Anus on midline

Anus on midline

Mancopsetta maculata (MMM)

Mancopsetta milfordi (PAZ)

Pseudomancopsetta andriashevi (UMA)

(NB Small, shallow water)

Eye and Dorsal fin

Scales feel‘rough’

Scales ‘rough’ only when stroked

forwards

Muraenolepis spp. (MRL)

Snout rounded

Snout straight

Teleost 5

Mental barbel < eye diameter

Mental barbel eye diameter

Dis

tinc

t lat

eral

line

re

achi

ng to

mid

dle

of D

2In

dist

inct

sho

rt la

tera

l lin

e, n

orm

ally

no

mor

e th

an 2

por

e

D1 < 2 x eye diameterMental barbel > eye diameter

D1 > 4 x eye diameterMental barbel eye diameter M. microcephalus (MWS)

M. microps (MOY)

M. orangiensis (MUO)

M. marmoratus (MVC)

Lithodidae (Stone crabs, KCX)

Abdomen with membraneous region containing calcareous nodules

Lithodes spp. (KCZ)1. Carapace pear-shaped, covered by spinous tubercles:

P. aculeata (KCU)

------------------------------------

2. Carapace rounded, more or less covered with numerous granules:

P. anamerae (KDD)

-------------------------------------

3. Entire dorsal surface of carapace covered with numerous spines:

P. spinosissima (KCV)

---------------------------------

4. Carapace more or less pentagonal, as long as wide surface covered with small granules and a FEW spines:

P. formosa (KCF)

---------------------------------

5. Carapace more or less pentagonal pentagonal with many large spines, walking legs long:

Neolithodes diomedeae (NDW)

Rostrum

Dorsal + Lateral

views

Abdomen without membraneous areas, the calcareous plates being continuous

Paralomis spp. (PAI) or Neolithodes

Male Female

Male Female

Rostrum

Crab 1

Carapace and legs with unequal spines (sharp) and tubercles

L. murrayi (KCM)