Animal Species:Cusk, Brotulotaenia sp Two species of
Brotulotaenia are recorded from Australian waters: the Violet
Cusk, B. crassa and the Dark Cusk, B. nigra. Matthew D'Avella
photographed this beautiful larval fish while black water diving
(blue water diving at night) off Kona, Hawaii. Thank you to Dr
J. Nielsen (Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen) for his
identification of the fish. One species of Brotulotaenia is
currently known from Hawaii. In April 2006, a 9.8 mm SL specimen
of B. nielseni was caught by R. Humphreys and party at a depth
between the surface and 1 m, off Kona, Hawaii. The fish was
caught in a midwater trawl towed behind the NOAA vessel Oscar
Sette. Since then, additional specimens have been collected.
This find confirms Mundy's hypothesis (2005) that, "Although
Brotulotaenia nielseni has not been recorded from the Hawaiian
Islands, its general range and pelagic habits indicate that it
might be expected in the region". Two species of Brotulotaenia
are recorded from Australian wate