Bothrocara brunneum

Description

Bothrocara brunneum, the twoline eelpout, is a benthic species of fish of the Zoarcidae family. The species is the only fish of the eelpouts to have two lateral lines and short blunt-ended gill rakers. The species is found between the Bering Sea to the shores of San Francisco, and also Baja California Peninsula and Attu Island. It inhabits the bottom of seas or oceans and is generally found in a depth ranging between 2,000 feet (610 m) and 6,000 feet (1,829 m). It has been hypothesized from an analysis of stomach content that the species feeds mainly on bottom-dwelling creatures. Etymologically, Bothrocara stands for "cavity head" and brunneum for "brown", named respectively after the appearance of the head and the tinted brown colour of the body. It was named "twoline eelpout" for its unique two lateral lines.