Bassogigas gillii

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Bassogigas gillii is a deep-sea cusk-eel in the family Ophidiidae. It lives on or near the seafloor at depths of about 637 to 2,239 meters (2,090–7,346 feet) in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, and in parts of the western Atlantic.

The genus name Bassogigas means “deep giant” from Latin, and the species name honors American ichthyologist Theodore Gill. This fish grows up to about 85 cm (33 inches) long. It has no dorsal or anal spines, but it has 103–110 dorsal rays and 83–88 anal rays. It has 60–64 vertebrae, and a long lateral line that can reach up to 84% of its total length, a feature used to distinguish it from its close relative Bassogigas walkeri.

Distribution and habitat: Bassogigas gillii is found throughout the Indian Ocean and western Pacific from the tip of Africa to New Caledonia, including Madagascar. It also occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean, from the United States to Brazil, including the Bahamas and Cuba, and is known from the Gulf of Mexico, Bear Seamount, and near the Agulhas Current. It generally lives on or near the bottom at great depths.