D 10-11; A+C 85-94; P 11-14 reaches beyond A origin; V 3, 1st ray
elongate, followed by2 minute rays; OR (0-1)+(9-11); vertebrae 132-133.
Teeth in upper jaw only; body 9.3, head 6.6 in SL. A origin about 1 head
length behind head. Eye 6.1 ; interorbital 6.5 in head. (Not seen, compiled.) Possibly a synonym of ljimaia loppei.
Attains 1.5 m. Brownish transparent; fins dusky with
margin darker. West coast from the equator to Angola and
down to 567 m.
124.2 Ateleopus natalensis
Regan, 1921
Ate/eopus natalensis Regan, 1921 : 414 (Natal) ; Barnard, 1948: 350*;
Smith, SFSA No. 188*; Pfaff, 1953: 151*.
D 9-10; A+C 104-108; P 12-13; V 1 (looks like 1 long ray with small
skinny projection behind; dissection shows 2 minute spines in front of this
ray, with a variable number of vestigial spines and rays in the skinny projection). OR (0-1)+(7-9) . No teeth in lower jaw. Stauche & Blache (1964)
suggest that A. natalensis could be the same asA . japonicus Bleeker, 1853,
and that the large adult is ljimaia dofleini Sauter, 1905. Franca & Ferreira
(1967) , however, disagree that ljimaia and Ateleopus can be the same .
Attains 60 cm. Cape to Red Sea; down to 660 m. Colour
greyish, fins blackish.
Genus Guentherus Osorio, 1917
Much shorter body and anal fin than other 2 genera in our
area. No teeth; whole fish very gelatinous; mouth subinferior, large. Monotypic.
124.3 Guentherus altivela
Osorio, 1917
Guntherus altivela Osorio, 1917: 117 (off Cabo Blanco, Spanish Sahara
in 260 m). Guentherus altivelis: Walters, 1963: 456; Penrith, 1969: 71;
124: ATELEOPODIDAE (TADPOLE FISHES)
Trunov & Isarev, 1971: 115*; Karrer, 1973: 215*. Melanogloea ventralis
Barnard, 1941 : 10, Fig. on Plate (NW of Table Bay and W of Saldanha
Bay in 550 m); 1948: 356* ; Smith, SFSA No. 188b; Franca & Ferreira,
1967: 2*; Blache, Cadenat & Stauch, 1970: 191* .
D 11-13; A 69-80; P 11-14; V 1+ 1+ 1+(6-7), 1st and 3rd free raysprobably tactile organs; C 9-11; OR (4-6)+(17-22) = 23-27; LL about 35,
straight , series of small pores from gill opening to C base; LL canal passes
through embedded tubular scales only visible on dissection; adipose fin
(or fold of skin) about as long as A, from behind D to C base . Vertebrae
78-80. Head wider than body, 2.9-3 .2 in SL.
Attains 2 m. Whole fish including margin of inner surface
of operculum uniform dark brown except white mouth
cavity and concealed parts of maxilla when mouth closed,
free V rays white in young adults; juveniles transparent with
black blotches along body and fins. West coast of Africa
from Cabo Blanco to the Cape, not uncommon off
Liideritz; also found in eastern Pacific; down to 700 m.
124.3 Guentherus a/tive/a: 48 cm (Walvis Bay) .
Genus Ijimaia Sauter, 1905
According to Stauche & Blache (1964) Ijimaia may be the
large adult of Ateleopus, as the main difference is the size of
'. ," "':O!i" ~ ' ''''';: " .,..;~ • . L . . . . . .
. ." •
, ~.
124.2 Ate/eopus nata/ensis: 34 cm (off Algoa Bay).
124.4 /jimaia /oppei: 116.5 cm composite (partly after Blache, Cadenat & Stauch, 1970, and Roule, 1922).
405
elongate, followed by2 minute rays; OR (0-1)+(9-11); vertebrae 132-133.
Teeth in upper jaw only; body 9.3, head 6.6 in SL. A origin about 1 head
length behind head. Eye 6.1 ; interorbital 6.5 in head. (Not seen, compiled.) Possibly a synonym of ljimaia loppei.
Attains 1.5 m. Brownish transparent; fins dusky with
margin darker. West coast from the equator to Angola and
down to 567 m.
124.2 Ateleopus natalensis
Regan, 1921
Ate/eopus natalensis Regan, 1921 : 414 (Natal) ; Barnard, 1948: 350*;
Smith, SFSA No. 188*; Pfaff, 1953: 151*.
D 9-10; A+C 104-108; P 12-13; V 1 (looks like 1 long ray with small
skinny projection behind; dissection shows 2 minute spines in front of this
ray, with a variable number of vestigial spines and rays in the skinny projection). OR (0-1)+(7-9) . No teeth in lower jaw. Stauche & Blache (1964)
suggest that A. natalensis could be the same asA . japonicus Bleeker, 1853,
and that the large adult is ljimaia dofleini Sauter, 1905. Franca & Ferreira
(1967) , however, disagree that ljimaia and Ateleopus can be the same .
Attains 60 cm. Cape to Red Sea; down to 660 m. Colour
greyish, fins blackish.
Genus Guentherus Osorio, 1917
Much shorter body and anal fin than other 2 genera in our
area. No teeth; whole fish very gelatinous; mouth subinferior, large. Monotypic.
124.3 Guentherus altivela
Osorio, 1917
Guntherus altivela Osorio, 1917: 117 (off Cabo Blanco, Spanish Sahara
in 260 m). Guentherus altivelis: Walters, 1963: 456; Penrith, 1969: 71;
124: ATELEOPODIDAE (TADPOLE FISHES)
Trunov & Isarev, 1971: 115*; Karrer, 1973: 215*. Melanogloea ventralis
Barnard, 1941 : 10, Fig. on Plate (NW of Table Bay and W of Saldanha
Bay in 550 m); 1948: 356* ; Smith, SFSA No. 188b; Franca & Ferreira,
1967: 2*; Blache, Cadenat & Stauch, 1970: 191* .
D 11-13; A 69-80; P 11-14; V 1+ 1+ 1+(6-7), 1st and 3rd free raysprobably tactile organs; C 9-11; OR (4-6)+(17-22) = 23-27; LL about 35,
straight , series of small pores from gill opening to C base; LL canal passes
through embedded tubular scales only visible on dissection; adipose fin
(or fold of skin) about as long as A, from behind D to C base . Vertebrae
78-80. Head wider than body, 2.9-3 .2 in SL.
Attains 2 m. Whole fish including margin of inner surface
of operculum uniform dark brown except white mouth
cavity and concealed parts of maxilla when mouth closed,
free V rays white in young adults; juveniles transparent with
black blotches along body and fins. West coast of Africa
from Cabo Blanco to the Cape, not uncommon off
Liideritz; also found in eastern Pacific; down to 700 m.
124.3 Guentherus a/tive/a: 48 cm (Walvis Bay) .
Genus Ijimaia Sauter, 1905
According to Stauche & Blache (1964) Ijimaia may be the
large adult of Ateleopus, as the main difference is the size of
'. ," "':O!i" ~ ' ''''';: " .,..;~ • . L . . . . . .
. ." •
, ~.
124.2 Ate/eopus nata/ensis: 34 cm (off Algoa Bay).
124.4 /jimaia /oppei: 116.5 cm composite (partly after Blache, Cadenat & Stauch, 1970, and Roule, 1922).
405