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Quillfish • Ptilichthys goodei

{Ptilon = feather, ichthys = fish; goodei = named after the American ichthyologist Dr. G. B. Goode}
Quillfish (Ptilichthys goodei)
Photo by the Hakai Institute FABS (Fish Assemblage Beach Seining) team.
Identification
The long, slender body of this distinctive fish gives it a snake-like appearance, which is further aided by its serpentine movements. It has a tiny mouth, a line of tiny hooked spines going down its back behind its head, and a tail fin so reduced it is as thin as thread (if it isn't missing altogether, which it often is). The quillfish can be up to 40 cm long.

Habitat & Range
Adults are usually found resting on or buried in soft substrates (such as mud or sand) in shallow waters. Juveniles may be observed at the surface at night; they are thought to be attracted to lights shining into the water. It is found in both the east and west Pacific Ocean: from central Oregon north to Alaska, through the Aleutian Islands to the Sea of Okhotsk and the Kuril Islands and south to Japan.
​
Intriguing Info
Little is known about this species, which is the only known member of its family (Ptilichthyidae).

​iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/229394-Ptilichthys-goodei

References
Froese, R. and Reyes, R.B. Ptilichthys goodei Bean, 1881. FishBase. Accessed 07/09/2017.
​Lamb, A. and Edgell, P. Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest. Revised. (2010). Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing. P. 138.

Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell (2017).

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