The genus distinguishes itself from others in its family because of discrepancies in morphology. Guentherus has "3 free rays followed by 6–9 normal rays with membrane between them in the pelvic fins."[2] Other genera in this family have "a single long filament or 1 relatively developed ray plus 0 to 3 rudimentary rays."[2]
The family Ateleopodidae is made up of four genera and within that thirteen species: Ateleopus, Ijimaia, Parateleopus, Guentherus.[3] Ateleopodids are located primarily near tropical and subtropical waters; with Ateleopus, Parateleopus, and Guentherus located in the Pacific and Ijimaia located in the Atlantic.[4]
Scientific Name for Species Under Ateleopodidae Family[3]
Genus
Species
Ateleopus
indicus
Ateleopus
purpureus
Ateleopus
ntalensis
Ateleopus
dofleini
Ateleopus
plicatellus
Ateleopus
japonicus
Ateleopus
tanabensis
Ataleopus
natalensis
Ijimaia
loppei
Ijimaia
antillarum
Parateleopus
microstomus
Guentherus
altivela
Guentherus
kaoti
Ateleopodids are commonly referred to as Jellynose fish or alternatively also called tadpole fish "because of their very soft and gelatinous snout."[5]
The genus Guentherus was created by Balthazar Osorio in 1917 upon his discovery of the Guentherus ativela species.[6] The genus Guentherus differentiates from its other Ateleopodids because of their "posterior placement and structure of its pelvic fins-three free rays followed by a normal pelvic fin."[4] They are a benthically dwelling ray-finned fish. Guentherus Ativela is known to feed on copepods and polychaetas.[7]
Guentherus katoi was named after Tatsuya Kato who collected the specimen. it has been found at depths of 1,000-2,000 feet.[6] The only specimens of G. katoi have been found off the coast of Southern Japan to the outlying southern Okinawa Islands.[6]
Guentherus altivelaOsório, 1917, original description in Osório, B. (1917). Nota sôbre algumas espécies de peixes que vivem no Atlântico ocidental. Arquivo da Universidade de Lisboa. v. 4: 103-131, Pls. 29-36.[9]
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Gerringer, M. E., Drazen J. C., Linley, T. D., Summers, A. P., Jamieson, A. J., & Yancey, P. H. (2017). Distribution, composition and functions of gelatinous tissues in deep-sea fishes. Royal Society, 4, (12): 171063. doi:10.1098/rsos.171063
Hollingworth, C. (27 April 2005). The living marine resources of the western central Atlantic. Volume 1: Introduction, molluscs, crustaceans, hagfishes, sharks, batoid fishes, and chimaeras. Volume 2: Bony fishes Part 1 (Acipenseridae To Grammatidae). Volume 3: Bony fishes Part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae), sea turtles and marine mammals. FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes and American Society of Ichthologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. doi:10.1111/j.1467-2679.2005.00172.x
Prokofiev, A. M. (2006) New finding of Ateleopus purpureus Tanaka, 1915 (Ateleopodiformes: Ateleopodidae) in the Pacific waters of Japan. Journal of Ichthyology, 46, 342-344. doi:10.1134/S0032945206040072
Schroeder, R., Schwarz, R., & Schwingel, P. (2011). The occurrence of the jellynose fish Ijimaia antillarum in the south-western Atlantic. Marine Biodiversity Records, 4. doi:10.1017/S1755267211000595