Brachionichthys

Brachionichthys; Temporal range: 55–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ; Eocene to Present
	Brachionichthys hirsutus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Lophiiformes
Family:	Brachionichthyidae
Genus:	Brachionichthys; Bleeker, 1855
Species
	2, See text.

Brachionichthys is the type genus of the handfish family Brachionichthyidae.^[2] Originally, all species of handfish were included in Brachionichthys, but researchers have since split species off into five additional genera.

Species of handfish use their pectoral fins to walk about on the sea floor. These highly modified fins have the appearance of hands, hence the generic epithet, from Latin brachium meaning "arm" and Greek ichthys meaning "fish".^{[citation needed]}

The prehistoric handfish, Histiontophorus bassani, from the Lutetian of Monte Bolca, was once described as a species of Brachionichthys.

Species[]

The currently recognized species in this genus are:^[3]

Last, & , 2007 (Australian spotted handfish) ^[4]
Brachionichthys hirsutus Lacépède, 1804 (Spotted handfish)

References[]

^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2009-02-20. Retrieved 01/08/08. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
^ Last, P.R.; Gledhill, D.C. 2009: A revision of the Australian handfishes (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with descriptions of three new genera and nine new species. Zootaxa, 2252: 1-77. Abstract and excerpt PDF
^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). Species of Brachionichthys in FishBase. April 2012 version.
^ Last, Gledhill & Holmes (2007-12-19). "A new handfish, Brachionichthys australis sp. nov. (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with a redescription of the critically endangered spotted handfish, B. hirsutus (Lacepède)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1666: 53–68.

External links[]

Video of a handfish
Are handfish walking towards extinction? (podcast) Archived 2010-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
National Geographic, including photos

This order Lophiiformes-related (anglerfish) article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

[1] Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2009-02-20. Retrieved 01/08/08. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

[2] Last, P.R.; Gledhill, D.C. 2009: A revision of the Australian handfishes (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with descriptions of three new genera and nine new species. Zootaxa, 2252: 1-77. Abstract and excerpt PDF

[3] Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). Species of Brachionichthys in FishBase. April 2012 version.

[4] Last, Gledhill & Holmes (2007-12-19). "A new handfish, Brachionichthys australis sp. nov. (Lophiiformes: Brachionichthyidae), with a redescription of the critically endangered spotted handfish, B. hirsutus (Lacepède)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1666: 53–68.

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[2]

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[4]

Brachionichthys Temporal range: 55–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Eocene to Present^[1]

Brachionichthys hirsutus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Lophiiformes
Family:	Brachionichthyidae
Genus:	Brachionichthys Bleeker, 1855
Species
2, See text.