Gigantactis paxtoni

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Gigantactis paxtoni
Gigantactis paxtoni.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Gigantactinidae
Genus: Gigantactis
Species:
G. paxtoni
Binomial name
Gigantactis paxtoni
Gigantactis paxtoni
Holotype site: 100 km east of Broken Bay'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000A-QINU`"'

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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Gigantactis paxtoni was first formally described in 1981 by Erik Bertelsen, Theodore W. Pietsch and Robert J. Lavenberg with its type locality given as 100 km (62 mi) east of Broken Bay off New South Wales at 33°28'S, 152°33'E from a depth of 0 to 900 m (0 to 2,953 ft) where the sea bed was at a depth of 4,200 m (13,800 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 paxtoni 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 John Paxton, an ichthyologist at the Australian Museum, who provided the specimens on which Bertelsen, Pietsch and Lavenberg based their description and for his contributions to the study of the ichthyology of the deep seas. [4]

Description

Gigantactis paxtoni is a black-coloured anglerfish with an extremely long illicium which has a length equivalent to 168% to 198% of the standard length. There is a tuft of white filaments at the illicium's base, with the bulb of the esca tapering towards a dark, conical extension covered in spinules on its tip; the bulb has a length equivalent to between 12% and 28% of the standard length. The long teeth on the dentary are arranged in 3 or 4 rows. [5] There are small, unpigmented papillae and short filaments on the bulb of the esca and its elongation. [6] This species has a maximum published standard length of 29.5 cm (11.6 in). [7]

Distribution and habitat

Gigantactis paxtoni is found in the southern Indian and Pacific Oceans between 33°S and 44°S, as far south as the northern boundary of the Subantarctic Water Mass. It has also been found off eastern Australia, New Zealand and in the Halmahera Sea. It has been recorded from depths between 540 and 1,500 m (1,770 and 4,920 ft). [1]

Related Research Articles

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

The footballfish form a family, Himantolophidae, of globose, deep-sea anglerfishes found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean. The family contains 23 species, all of which are classified in a single genus, Himantolophus.

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

Ceratiidae, 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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krøyer's deep sea angler fish</span> Species of fish

Krøyer's deep sea angler fish, also known as the deep-sea angler, longray seadevil or northern seadevil, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ceratiidae, the warty seadevils. It is found throughout the oceans of the world, from tropical to polar seas. It is the largest species in its family.

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

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<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.

<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.

Rhynchactis leptonema is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gigantactinidae, the whipnose anglers. This species is known from widely scattered locations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

<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>Ceratias</i> Genus of fishes

Ceratias is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ceratiidae, the warty sea devils. This fishes in this genus are found throughpuit the world's oceans.

<i>Diceratias</i> Genus of fishes

Diceratias is a genus of deep sea marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Diceratiidae, the double anglers. These fishes are found in the Eastern Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions.

<i>Linophryne</i> Genus of fishes

Linophryne, the bearded seadevils, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Linophrynidae, the leftvents. These deep sea anglerfishes are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

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>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.

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 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.

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.; Matson, C.; Rivera Higueras, M. (2019). "Gigantactis paxtoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T140026864A140322928. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T140026864A140322928.en . Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Gignatactis". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 17 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 17 August 2024.
  5. Bray, D.J. (2017). "Gigantactis paxtoni". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  6. A. L. Stewart; T. W. Pietsch (1998). "The ceratioid anglerfishes (Lophiiformes: Ceratioidei) of New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 28 (1): 1–37. Bibcode:1998JRSNZ..28....1S. doi:10.1080/03014223.1998.9517553.
  7. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Gigantactis paxtoni". FishBase . June 2024 version.