Gigantactis kreffti

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Gigantactis kreffti
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Gigantactinidae
Genus: Gigantactis
Species:
G. kreffti
Binomial name
Gigantactis kreffti
Gigantactis kreffti
Holotype site (ISH 1099-1971: south western Atlantic

Gigantactis kreffti is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gigantactinidae, the whipnose anglers. This species is found in the deeper waters of the South Atlantic and Western Pacific Oceans.

Contents

Taxonomy

Gigantactis krefftii was first formally described in 1981 by Erik Bertelsen, Theodore W. Pietsch and Robert J. Lavenberg with its type locality given as the South Atlantic at 39°19'S, 3°15'W, Walther Herwig station 406/71, from a depth of 0–2,000 m (0–6,562 ft). [2] This species is placed within the genus Gigantactis , which the 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies within the family Gigantactinidae, a family within the suborder Ceratioidei, the deep sea anglerfishes of the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. [3]

Etymology

Gigantactis kreffti is a member of the genus Giganactis, the name of which is a combination of gigantos, meaning "giant", with actis, which means "ray", an allusion to the unusually long illicium of the genus's type species, G. vanhoeffeni . The specific name honours the German ichthyologist Gerhard Krefft of the Institute for Sea Fisheries in Hamburg, recognising his contribution to the knowledge of the fauna of the deep seas. [4]

Description

Gigantactis kreffti is known only from metamorphosed females. These are elongated anglerfishes with an elongate caudal peduncle and a relatively short illicium, which is no greater than 120% of the standard length of the fish. The esca is pear-shaped, rounder in younger females, and rather spiny. The esca has short filaments near its tip and no filaments on its base. The teeth in the upper jaw are arranged in one series with few teeth on the sides of the jaw; there are 4 or 5 series of long teeth in the lower jaw. The caudal fin is relatively short, covered in skin, and with rays that have a length equivalent to 30% of the standard length. [5] This species has a maximum published standard length of 25.2 cm (9.9 in). [6]

Distribution and habitat

Gigantactis kreffti has been recorded from 4 widely scattered localities, two in the southwestern Atlantic off South Africa and two in the Western Pacific, one off Tasmania and one off Japan. It has been collected from depths between 1,000 and 2,000 m (3,300 and 6,600 ft). [1]

Related Research Articles

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

Certaiidae, the warty sea devils, caruncled seadevils or seadevils, are a family of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the suborder Ceratioidei, the deep-sea anglerfishes, in the anglerfish order Lophiiformes. The warty sea devils are sexually dimorphic with the small males being obligate sexual parasites of the much larger females. The fishes in this family are widely distributed from polar to tropical seas around the world.

<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.

Thaumatichthyidae, the wolftrap anglers, is a small family of marine ray-finned fishes, also called the wolftrap seadevils, classified within the suborder Ceratioidei, the deep-sea anglerfishes. They have distinctive upper jaws with movable premaxillaries that can be lowered to form a cage-like trap around the much shorter lower jaw.

<i>Gigantactis</i> Genus of fishes

Gigantactis is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gigantactinidae, the whipnose anglers. The fishes in this genus have a circumglobal distribution in the deep waters of the tropical and temperate zones of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

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

The whipnose anglers are a family, the Gigantactinidae, of marine ray-finned fishes which is classified within the suborder Ceratioidei, the deep sea anglerfishes. These fishes are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<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>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.

Dolopichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Oneirodidae, the dreamers, a family of deep sea anglerfishes. These predatory, deep-sea fishes are found in the tropical and subtropical oceans around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plainchin dreamarm</span> Species of fish

The plainchin dreamarm is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Oneirodidae, the dreamers, a family of deep sea anglerfishes. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Leptacanthichthys. This species occurs in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans at depths down to 2,000 m (6,600 ft).

Microlophichthys microlophus, the short-rod anglerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Oneirodidae, the dreamers, a family of deep sea anglerfishes. This anglerfish is found in the deeper waters of the tropical and temperate oceans around the world.

Microlophichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Oneirodidae, the dreamers, a family of deep sea anglerfishes. The species in this genus are found in the tropical and subtropical parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Pentherichthys</i> Monotypic genus of fish

Pentherichthys is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Oneirodidae, the dreamers, a family of deep-sea anglerfishes. The only species in the genus is Pentherichthys atratus which is found in the bathypelagic zones of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The males of this species are dwarfed and are not parasitic on the females.

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

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.

<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.

<i>Gigantactis paxtoni</i> Species of fish

Gigantactis paxtoni, Paxton's whipnose or slender anglerfish, is a species of is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gigantactinidae, the whipnose anglers. This species is found in the deeper waters of the southern Indo-Pacific.

Gigantactis meadi, Mead's whipnose, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gigantactinidae, the whipnose anglers. This species is found in the deeper waters of the southern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Gigantactis elsmani, Elsman's whipnose, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gigantactinidae, the whipnose anglers. This species is found in the deeper waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Gigantactis vanhoeffeni is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gigantactinidae, the whipnose anglers. This species has a circumglobal distribution in the deeper waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

References

  1. 1 2 Carpenter, K.E.; Robertson, R.; Rivera Higueras, M. & Matson, C. (2019). "Gigantactis kreffti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T140026489A140322898. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T140026489A140322898.en . Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Gignatactis". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 15 August 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 15 August 2024.
  5. Bray, D.J. (2022). "Gigantactis kreffti". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  6. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2024). "Gigantactis kreffti" in FishBase . June 2024 version.

Further reading