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The ragfish, ''Icosteus aenigmaticus'', is a ray-finned fish of the northern Pacific Ocean; although a perciform, its skeleton is mostly cartilage, and the larvae have pelvic fins that disappear as they mature. It is the sole member of the family Icosteidae, and some authorities place it into its own order Icosteiformes. The ragfish body is scaleless and limp, because of its cartilaginous skeleton and its flabby muscles. None of the fins have any spines. The dorsal and anal fins extend much of the length of the body, while the pelvic fins are absent. The coloration is generally a dark brown, and maximum known length is 2 m. Ragfishes are found on the bottom from near the surface in the case of juveniles to , occasionally down to , for the adults. They are said to eat jellyfishes, other fish, squid, and octopus, although recent catches show no squid beaks but large numbers of jellyfish. The larvae make a remarkable transformation as they mature; the caudal fin shrinks, and the pelvic fins disappear. Formerly, adult ragfishes were considered to be a different species, known then as ''Acrotus willoughbyi''.〔http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/figb0639.htm〕 ==References== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ragfish」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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