Animalia Life

Halimochirugus alcocki
FAMILY
Triacanthodidae
TAXONOMY
Halimochirugus alcocki Weber, 1913, Arafura Sea.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
Japanese: Nagakawamuki.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Elongate body; the snout is tubular and elongate. There are six spines and 12–13 soft rays in the dorsal fin; the third spine is minute and protrudes through the skin, whereas the remaining spines lie beneath the skin. The anal fin has 11–12 soft rays. Grows to 6.7 in (17 cm) in total length.
DISTRIBUTION
Western Pacific from central Japan south to the Philippines and Indonesia.
HABITAT
A bottom-dwelling tropical and subtropical marine species at depths of 1,280–2,001 ft (390–610 m).
BEHAVIOR
Not well known.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Not well known but probably feeds on small benthic invertebrates that it takes with its tubelike snout.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Not well known but likely has demersal eggs and pelagic larvae.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Not significant as a food, sport, or aquarium species; of scientific interest, warranting further investigation.

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