Osteology of the Quillfish, Ptilichthys goodei (Perciformes: Zoarcoidei: Ptilichthyidae)

The Quillfish, Ptilichthys goodei, is a slender, elongate fish distributed along the coastline of the North Pacific from Oregon to the Sea of Japan. It is the sole member of the monotypic family Ptilichthyidae, which is classified among the Zoarcoidei (eelpouts and their allies). Little is known of its osteology and there is much conflicting information in the literature regarding its morphology. In this paper we describe the skeleton of Ptilichthys based on newly collected and prepared specimens. Because of the small number and size range of our specimens, the emphasis of our study is on the juvenile skeleton, although the adult skeleton is also described as far as our material allows. We conclude by briefly discussing the phenomenon of axial elongation in Ptilichthys.