fourhorn poacher
Hypsagonus quadricornis (Valenciennes, 1829)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The fourhorn poacher (Hypsagonus quadricornis), also known as the four-horned sea-poacher, is a fish in the family Agonidae. It was described by Achille Valenciennes in 1829, originally under the genus Aspidophorus (now Agonus). It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling fish which is known from the northern Pacific Ocean, including the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan, the Bering Sea, the Kuril Islands, and Washington, USA. It is non-migratory, and dwells at a depth range of 0 to 452 metres (0 to 1,483 ft), most often at around 100 to 150 metres (330 to 490 ft). It inhabits sediments of sand and gravel. Males can reach a maximum total length of 12 centimetres (4.7 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 10 centimetres (3.9 in). The maximum recorded weight is 24 grams (0.053 lb), and the maximum recorded age is 7 years.
The fourhorn poacher is preyed on by Hippoglossus stenolepis. Its own diet consists of crustaceans including shrimp, crabs, isopods, amphipods, and ostracods, as well as bony fish, gastropods, and polychaetes.
Wikipedia contributors, Fourhorn poacher; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:00:06.974038+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Hypsagonus quadricornis (Valenciennes, 1829)
- Name authority
- (Valenciennes, 1829)
- Common name
- fourhorn poacher
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Perciformes
- Family
- Agonidae
- Genus
- Hypsagonus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderPerciformes
- suborderCottoidei
- familyAgonidae Swainson, 1839
- subfamilyHypsagoninae Gill, 1861
- genusHypsagonus Gill, 1861
- speciesHypsagonus quadricornis (Valenciennes, 1829)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Hypsagonus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Horned poacherHypsagonus corniger Taranetz, 1933 | AgonidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Aspidophorous quadricornis Cuvier, 1829 Cuvier, 1829 | synonym |
| Aspidophorus quadricornis Valenciennes, 1829 Valenciennes, 1829 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=254508 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6MSNV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.