Caulophryne pelagica

Last updated

Caulophryne pelagica
C pelagica.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Caulophrynidae
Genus: Caulophryne
Species:
C. pelagica
Binomial name
Caulophryne pelagica
(Brauer, 1902)
Synonyms [2]
  • Melanocetus pelagicus Brauer, 1902
  • Caulophryne acinosa Regan & Trewavas, 1932
  • Caulophryne ramulosa Regan & Trewavas, 1932
  • Caulophryne pietschi Balushkin & Fedorov, 1985

Caulophryne pelagica is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Caulophrynidae, the fanfins. This species is a deepwater species which is found in the eastern Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Southern Ocean. Its biology is little known but similar species show extreme sexual dimorphism with the very small makes seeking out and attaching themselves to the much larger females and becoming parasites of the females.

Contents

Photograph of Caulophryne pelagica Caulophryne pelagica.jpg
Photograph of Caulophryne pelagica

Taxonomy

Caulophryne pelagica was first formally described in 1902 as Melanocetus pelagicus by the German zoologist August Brauer with its type locality given as west of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean from Valdivia station 228 from a depth of 0–2,500 m (0–8,202 ft) in water with a bottom depth of 3,460 m (11,350 ft). [2] This species is classified within the genus Caulophryne which is one of two genera within the family Caulophrynidae. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the Caulophrynidae within the suborder Ceratioidei of the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. [3]

Etymology

Caulophryne pelagica is a species within the genus Caulophryne, this name is a combination of caulis, which mean" stem", an allusion to the stem-like base of the illicium, with phryne, meaning "toad", a suffix commonly used in the names of anglerfish genera. Its use may date as far back as Aristotle and Cicero, who referred to anglerfishes as “fishing-frogs” and “sea-frogs,” respectively, possibly because of their resemblance to frogs and toads. The specific name pelagica derives from pelagios, meaning "of the open sea", a reference to the bathypelagic environment the holotype was collected from. [4]

Description

Caulophryne pelagica has a high degree of sexual dimorphism. The females have short, round bodies with large mouths. The lower jaw reaches back past the base of the pectoral fin. The teeth in the jaws are thin, backwards curving and depressible. They have highly elongated dorsal and anal fins, with the soft rays of these fins resembling long threads. There are 8 fin rays in the caudal fin. They do not have pelvic fins. The sensory cells of the lateral line system are at the tips of the filamentous rays of the dorsal and anal fins. They have a simple esca, or lure, which lacks a bulb but which may have filaments or appendages. The skin is naked and they do not have any dermal spines. The males are much smaller than the females and have more elongated bodies. They have large eyes and large nostrils, with large olfactory receptors. They have no teeth in the jaws, although there are tooth-like structures on the jaw bones which are used to attach to the larger female. The male do not have elongated dorsal and anal fins but so have large pectoral fins. [5] C. pelagica has a dark coloured illlicium, that has no translucent filaments along its length other than near to the esca and which has a length equivalent to between 18% and 125.8% of the standard length, the longer the fish is, the greater the relative length of the illicium. The esca has between 5 and 7 elongated, filamentous appendages, 2 to 4 unbranched appendages close to its base and 3 or 4 branched appendages near its tip. The dorsal fin has between 14 and 17 soft rays while the anal fin has 12 soft rays. [6] The maximum published total length is 15 cm (5.9 in) for females. [7]

Distribution and habitat

Caulophryne pelagica is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Indo-Pacific region and the Southern Ocean. In the Eastern Atlantic it is known only from the waters off Cape Verde, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania and Western Sahara. In the Indo-Pacific it has a wide distribution from Somalia and the Madives east to Hawaiiand in the eastern Pacific where it has been collected off Alaska, Baja California, the Gulf of Panama and Ecuador to as far south as 4°S, while in the Southern Ocean it is known from New Zealand and Australia. [1] [6] This species is found in mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones at depths between 954 and 2,500 m (3,130 and 8,202 ft). [1]

Biology

Caulophryne pelagicas biology is almost unknown. The anglerfishes in this genus are predators using the illicium and ecsa to lure in prey. The males are much smaller than the females and have highly developed sensory apparatus which are used to find the females which the males attach themselves to and become sexual parasites of. [1] There are, howver, no known male specimens for this species. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leftvent</span> Family of fishes

Leftvents are small, deep-sea lophiiform fish comprising the family Linophrynidae distributed throughout tropical to subtropical waters of all oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanfin</span> Family of fishes

Fanfins or hairy anglerfish are a family, Caulophrynidae, of marine ray-finned fishes within the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. The fishes in this family are found almost around the world in the deeper, aphotic waters of the oceans.

<i>Haplophryne</i> Genus of anglerfish

Haplophryne mollis, the ghostly seadevil or soft leftvent angler, is a species of anglerfish in the family Linophrynidae and is the only species in the genus Haplophryne. It is found in the bathypelagic and mesopelagic zones of tropical and subtropical parts of the world's oceans at depths down to about 2,250 m (7,400 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toothed seadevil</span> Species of fish

The toothed seadevil, spiny seadevil or netbeard seadevil,, is a rarely seen deep-sea anglerfish found in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones in Oceans around the World. It is the only species in the family Neoceratidae, and is unique amongst the deep-sea anglerfish in lacking an illicium and esca, and in having large teeth placed on the outside of its jaws.

<i>Thaumatichthys</i> Genus of fishes

The Wonderfish (Thaumatichthys) is a genus of deep-sea anglerfish in the family Thaumatichthyidae, with three known species. Its scientific name means "wonder-fish" in Greek; oceanographer Anton Bruun described these fishes as "altogether one of the oddest creatures in the teeming variety of the fish world." In contrast to other anglerfishes, the bioluminescent lure of Thaumatichthys is located inside its cavernous mouth. They are worldwide in distribution and are ambush predators living near the ocean floor.

<i>Lasiognathus</i> Genus of fishes

The complete anglerfish (Lasiognathus) is a genus of deep-sea anglerfish in the family Thaumatichthyidae, with six species known from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Its lure apparatus appears to consist of a fishing rod, a fishing line, bait, and hooks. It is also distinctive for an enormous upper jaw with premaxillaries that can be folded down to enclose the much shorter lower jaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglerfish</span> Bony fish of the teleost order Lophiiformes

The anglerfish are fish of the teleost order Lophiiformes. They are bony fish named for their characteristic mode of predation, in which a modified luminescent fin ray acts as a lure for other fish. The luminescence comes from symbiotic bacteria, which are thought to be acquired from seawater, that dwell in and around the sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black seadevil</span> Family of fishes

Black seadevils are small, deepsea lophiiform fishes of the family Melanocetidae. The five known species are all within the genus Melanocetus. They are found in tropical to temperate waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, with one species known only from the Ross Sea.

<i>Rhynchactis</i> Genus of fishes

Rhynchactis is a genus of deep-sea anglerfish in the family Gigantactinidae, containing three species found worldwide at depths greater than 400 m (1,300 ft). Adult female Rhynchactis reach a standard length (SL) of 11–13 cm (4.3–5.1 in) and have a dark-colored, streamlined body and a relatively small head bearing a very long illicium. Unlike almost all other deep-sea anglerfishes, the illicium bears no bioluminescent esca at the tip. The mouth is almost devoid of teeth, and the inside of both jaws are covered by numerous white glands that are unique to this genus.

<i>Phyllophryne</i> Species of fish

Phyllophryne is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Histiophryninae in the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The only species in the genus is Phyllophryne scortea, the white-spotted anglerfish, smooth anglerfish or smooth frogfish, which is endemic to southern Australia.

<i>Caulophryne polynema</i> Species of fish

Caulophryne polynema is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Caulophrynidae, the fanfins. This species is a deepwater species which is found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Like other deepwater anglerfishes it shows extreme sexual dimorphism with the males being much smaller than the females and acting as sexual parasites of the females.

<i>Caulophryne</i> Genus of fishes

Caulophryne is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Caulophrynidae, the fanfins or hairy anglerfishes. These fishes are found throughout the non-polar oceans of the world.

Robia is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Caulophrynidae, the fanfins. Its only species is Robia legula which is known from a single specimen collected in the western central Pacific Ocean where it is found at depths of 1,000 to 1,500 metres.

<i>Borophryne</i> Species of fish

Borophryne apogon, the netdevil, or greedy seadevil, is a species of leftvent anglerfish known today from the waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean off the Central American coast. It is found at depths down to around 1,750 m (5,700 ft). This species grows to a length of 8.3 centimetres (3.3 in) TL. A fossil specimen of this species has been found in the Los Angeles Basin dating back to the Late Miocene, some eight million years ago.

<i>Caulophryne jordani</i> Species of fish

Caulophryne jordani, the fanfin angler, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Caulophrynidae, the fanfins. This species is a deepwater species which is found in Oceanic waters around the world. Like other deepwater anglerfishes it shows extreme sexual dimorphism with the males being much smaller than the females and acting as sexual parasites of the females.

Caulophryne bacescui of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Caulophrynidae, the fanfins or hairy anglerfishes. It is known from a single specimen collected from the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Abantennarius analis, the tailjet frogfish, tailjet anglerfish or dwarf frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This species is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Abantennarius bermudensis, the island frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The island frogfish is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Antennatus tuberosus</i> Species of fish

Antennatus tuberosus, the tuberculate anglerfish, pygmy angler, pygmy frogfish or tuberculated frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This fish is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Fowlerichthys avalonis</i> Species of frogfish

Fowlerichthys avalonis, the roughbar frogfish or roughjaw frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This fish is found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, where it is the most widespread frogfish species.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Knudsen, S. (2015). "Caulophryne pelagica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T60469615A60785295. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T60469615A60785295.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Caulophryne". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  3. ↑ Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 508–518. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN   2015037522. OCLC   951899884. OL   25909650M.
  4. ↑ Christopher Scharpf (3 June 2024). "Order LOPHIIFORMES (part 2): Families CAULOPHRYNIDAE, NEOCERATIIDAE, MELANOCETIDAE, HIMANTOLOPHIDAE, DICERATIIDAE, ONEIRODIDAE, THAUMATICHTHYIDAE, CENTROPHRYNIDAE, CERATIIDAE, GIGANTACTINIDAE and LINOPHRYNIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  5. ↑ Dianne J. Bray. "Fanfin Anglers, CAULOPHRYNIDAE". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Theodore W. Pietsch Ph.D. (2009). Oceanic Anglerfishes: Extraordinary Diversity in the Deep Sea. University of California Press. pp. 446–447. ISBN   0520942558.
  7. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2024). "Caulophryne pelagicus" in FishBase . February 2024 version.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.