''Brachionichthys'' is the
type genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name.
Zoological nomenclature
According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...
of the handfish family
Brachionichthyidae. 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 fin
Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...
s to walk about on the
sea floor. These highly modified fins have the appearance of hands, hence the generic epithet, from
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''brachium'' meaning "arm" and
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
''ichthys'' meaning "fish".
The prehistoric handfish, ''Histiontophorus bassani'', from the
Lutetian
The Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage or age in the Eocene. It spans the time between . The Lutetian is preceded by the Ypresian and is followed by the Bartonian. Together with the Bartonian it is sometimes referred to as the Midd ...
of
Monte Bolca, was once described as a species of ''Brachionichthys''.
Species
The currently recognized species in this genus are:
* ''
Brachionichthys australis''
Last
A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, and ...
, Gledhill & Holmes
Holmes may refer to:
Name
* Holmes (surname)
* Holmes (given name)
* Baron Holmes, noble title created twice in the Peerage of Ireland
* Chris Holmes, Baron Holmes of Richmond (born 1971), British former swimmer and life peer
Places
In the Uni ...
, 2007 (Australian spotted handfish)
* ''
Brachionichthys hirsutus
The spotted handfish (''Brachionichthys hirsutus'') is a rare Australian fish in the handfish family, Brachionichthyidae, classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List 2020. It has a highly restricted range, being found only in th ...
''
Lacépède, 1804 (Spotted handfish)
References
External links
Video of a handfish
National Geographic, including photos
Brachionichthyidae
Extant Eocene first appearances
Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker
Marine fish genera
{{Lophiiformes-stub