Mirapinna esau

Mirapinna esau
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cetomimiformes
Family: Cetomimidae
Genus: Mirapinna
Bertelsen & N. B. Marshall, 1956
Species: M. esau
Binomial name
Mirapinna esau
Bertelsen & N. B. Marshall, 1956

Mirapinna esau, the Hairyfish, is a species of flabby whalefish only known from the Atlantic Ocean from near the Azores. Formerly considered a member of the no longer recognized family Mirapinnidae, this species is the only known member of its genus.

Description

Mirapinna esau grows to a length of 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in) TL. Little is known of the fish beyond its appearance. Wheeler (1977) states that only one specimen was caught, near the sea surface, and that it was a copepod feeder.[1][2] The original specimen was captured north of the Azores at 47°20'North, 22°30'West.[3]

Etymology

The generic name is from the Latin 'mirus' (wonderful), 'pinna' (thorn), for the unusual fins possessed by this fish.[4] The specific name is from the character Esau in the bible, who is stated to be a hairy man (Genesis 27:11).[5]

References

  1. "Mirapinna esau". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  2. Wheeler, A. (1977). Das Grosse Buch der Fische. Stuttgart: Eugen Ulmer. pp. 356 pp.
  3. "Mirapinna esau". Fishbase. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  4. "Mirapinna esau". Discover Life. Retrieved 5 May 2014. based on Romero, P. 2002, Madrid, unpublished.
  5. Isaak, Mark. "Curiosities of Biological Nomenclature: Etymology: Names from Mythology". Retrieved 5 May 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/5/2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.