Ridgehead
≈ 2 min read
Names in other languages
No names in other languages are held for this entry yet.
Article bodies are English and are not machine-translated. A name in another language is not a translation of the article.
Ridgeheads, also known as bigscales, are a family (Melamphaidae, from the Greek melanos [black] and amphi [by both sides]) of small, deep-sea beryciform fish. The family contains approximately 37 species in five genera; their distribution is worldwide, but ridgeheads are absent from the Arctic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Although the family is one of the most widespread and plentiful of deep-sea families, none of its members are of interest to commercial fishery. These fish are named for their large scales and pronounced cranial ridges, as well as for their typically dark brown to black coloration. Ridgeheads are the largest and most diverse family of their order.
Ridgeheads, also known as bigscales, are a family (Melamphaidae, from the Greek melanos [black] and amphi [by both sides]) of small, deep-sea beryciform fish. The family contains approximately 37 species in five genera; their distribution is worldwide, but ridgeheads are absent from the Arctic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Although the family is one of the most widespread and plentiful of deep-sea families, none of its members are of interest to commercial fishery. These fish are named for their large scales and pronounced cranial ridges, as well as for their typically dark brown to black coloration. Ridgeheads are the largest and most diverse family of their order.
Further reading
"Family Melamphaidae Gill 1893" . Alexander N. Kotlyar. Annotated Checklist of Fishes, No. 29. California Academy of Sciences, February 2004. ISSN 1545-150X. Retrieved March 11, 2005. (PDF file) "The influence of seamounts on mesopelagic fish communities". Christian Pusch, Aike Beckmann, Filipe Mora Porteiro, and Hein von Westernhagen. Archive of Fishery and Marine Research, 51(1–3), 2004. Retrieved March 11, 2005. (PDF file)
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1363371042 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.