Vernal Lanternfish - anyone heard or seen one diving

[Rick]

just heard an interesting documentary on R4

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/livingworld.shtml

sound quite interesting so I googled it to see if I could see what they looked like without success

Anyone seen one diving or got a picture of what it looks like

Sounded mad when they described 1 shoal as taking 5 hours to cross so there are a fair few about

[andywg]

Hmm, I can find nothing with that common name, so it is most likely a made up name, a quite localised regional name, or a fish so new it hasn't been described yet.

I checked out fishbase but came up with nothing on the full common name, or the scientific name in the article you link to. In fact, fishbase doesn't recognise the genus (Ludolampanyctus) or the species (primavrilus) even when put in seperately.

To have a different genus is not uncommon as taxonomists are often moving species around as they decide the life form has more in common with other species. So a moved genus is far from unknown when searching like this.

The surprise is the lack of return on the species. A species name will never change once allocated. If a subsequent name has been used before the community recognised the two were the same species then it will at least be recorded as a synonym on fishbase. The situation here is most strange.

A search of just "lanternfish" in fishbase gives a huge number of responses to trawl through (if you are suffering from insomnia, this may just be your cure).

It would appear that the biggest problem facing the people on the program is that the fish they are searching for doesn't exist ;)

I must confess I am most stumped otherwise :confused:

[Mike Halligan]

And the date of the OP is? R4 has a long and distinguished association with April 1st, witness the number of politicians interviewed.

[andywg]

Ah. Completely missed the date (and, somewhat worringly, this was despite the fact the date is prominently displayed in the title bar of the BBC page).

Silly me...

[Mike Halligan]

Silly me...

Not really, it was a Sunday, a diving day. Can't be bothered with fripperies put about by the BBC on diving days! :eek:

[andywg]

Good point.

However, to try and make myself feel more intelligent, I shall dig out an old piece I wrote that relates to fish. If anyone stays awake long enough to reach the end then it might be useful for them.

[Rick]

noooooooo

it cant be an april fools joke

[Tony Dwyer]

Good point.

However, to try and make myself feel more intelligent, I shall dig out an old piece I wrote that relates to fish. If anyone stays awake long enough to reach the end then it might be useful for them.

I really do believe that you have been had. :)

Vernal (etymology - Latin - belonging to or sugestive of spring)

Ludicrous - (pertaining to play or sport," from L. ludicrus, from ludicrum "source of amusement, joke," from ludere "to play," which, with L. ludus "a game, play," may be from Etruscan, or from a PIE base *leid- "to play." Sense of "ridiculous")

Hmmm? :)

[NickMcV]

And the latin name?

Ludolampanyctus primavrilus

Prima-avrilus? :eek:

Romans go Home?

[Rick]

groan.....

[Tony Dwyer]

And the latin name?

Ludolampanyctus primavrilus

Prima-avrilus? :eek:

Romans go Home?

That should be singular evocative- Avrila (?)

Now write it out a hundred times or I'll cut your ****s off!