Animalia Life

Draconetta xenica
FAMILY
Draconettidae
TAXONOMY
Draconetta xenica Jordan and Fowler, 1903, Suruga Bay, Namazu, Japan.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
Japanese: Inaka-numeri.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Standard length 3.5 in (9 cm). Small, elongate, rounded body lacks scales but has grooved lateral line. Eye is large and snout pointed. There are two dorsal fins with three dorsal spines present on the first; first dorsal spine is the longest. Operculum and preoperculum have single strong spine. Last dorsal and anal rays branched, others are simple. Pectoral fins large and rounded, pelvic fins elongate. Body pink to whitish pink, with pink markings on dorsal, anal, and caudal fins.
DISTRIBUTION
Continental edges from East Africa to the Hawaiian Islands.
HABITAT
Deep-bottom rubble or sand.
BEHAVIOR
Nothing known.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Probably feeds upon small benthic invertebrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Largely unknown, but likely a pelagic spawning fish with paired courtship. Sexually dimorphic, males larger than females.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN. May be vulnerable to damage caused by deep-trawling of habitats.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
No direct significance. May be taken incidentally in deeptrawling fisheries.

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