''Sciadonus galatheae'' is a species of fish in the family

Aphyonidae Aphyonidae is a family of eel-like fishes in the order Ophidiiformes. They are found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world. They are deep-sea fishes, living between and depth. Description and biology Aphyonids are small fishe ...

Description

''Sciadonus galatheae'' is transparent or white in colour (hence the specific name, from Greek γαλάτεια, ''galateia'', "milk-white"), with a maximum length of . It has 88–104 dorsal fin rays and 47–58 anal fin rays. It has 48 precaudal

vertebrae The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates,Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristic i ...

Habitat

''Sciadonus galatheae'' is

abyssopelagic The abyssal zone or abyssopelagic zone is a layer of the pelagic zone of the ocean. "Abyss" derives from the Greek word , meaning bottomless. At depths of , this zone remains in perpetual darkness. It covers 83% of the total area of the ocean an ...

and

bathypelagic The bathypelagic zone or bathyal zone (from Greek βαθύς (bathýs), deep) is the part of the open ocean that extends from a depth of below the ocean surface. It lies between the mesopelagic above, and the abyssopelagic below. The bathypelagic ...

, living at depths of up to . It has been found in the Celtic Sea, the

Solomon Sea The Solomon Sea is a sea located within the Pacific Ocean. It lies between Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Many major battles were fought there during World War II. Extent The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of ...

and in the waters off

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Behaviour

''Sciadonus galatheae'' reproduces viviparously.

References

Aphyonidae Taxa named by Jørgen G. Nielsen Fish described in 1969 {{Rayfinned-fish-stub