Gigantactis vanhoeffeni

Last updated

Gigantactis vanhoeffeni
Gigantactis vanhoeffeni.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. vanhoeffeni
Binomial name
Gigantactis vanhoeffeni
Brauer, 1902
Synonyms [2]

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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Gigantactis vanhoeffeni was first formally described in 1902 by the German zoologist August Brauer with its type locality given as east of Zanzibar at 5°42'S, 43°36'E in the western Indian Ocean. [3] When he described G. vanhoeffeni Brauer proposed a new monospecific genus, Gigantactis , meaning that this species is the type species of that genus by monotypy. [4] This genus is classified by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World within the family Gigantactinidae, a family within the suborder Ceratioidei, the deep sea anglerfishes of the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. [5]

Etymology

Gigantactis vanhoeffeni 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 its unusually long illicium. The specific name honours Ernst Vanhöffen, a German zoologist who studied jellyfish on the Valdivia Expedition. [6]

Description

Gigantactis vanhoeffeni has metamorphosed females which are distinguished from other species in the genus by the length of the illicium. The illicium is relatively short with a length equivalent to less than 120% of the standard length of the fish, even shorter in larger individuals. The bulb of the esca has an elongated tip. This elongated tip has a covering of spinules and is darkly pigmented. The bulb and the elongated tip has flattened papillae on their surface. The tip of the escal has short filaments near its tip and thin filaments near its base. The illicium has a pair of filaments near the esca on its rear surface. The long teeth on the dentary are arranged in 3 rows. [7] This species has amaximum published total length of 62 cm (24 in). [2]

Distribution and habitat

Gigantactis vanhoeffeni is found in the tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans where it lives at depths between 500 and 5,300 m (1,600 and 17,400 ft). It has reached as far north as Greenland. [1]

Related Research Articles

<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

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.

<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

Oneirodidae, the dreamers are a family of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. These fishes are deepwater fishes found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and it is the most diverse family of fishes in the bathypelagic zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulbous dreamer</span> Species of fish

The bulbous dreamer, or cosmoplitan dreamer, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Oneirodidae, the dreamers, a family of deep-sea anglerfishes. This fish has a circumglobal distribution in tropical and temperate oceans.

<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>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.

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>Himantolophus groenlandicus</i> Species of fish

Himantolophus groenlandicus, the Atlantic footballfish or Atlantic football-fish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Himantolophidae, the footballfishes. This fish is found primarily in mesopelagic depths of the ocean. Despite its name, this species might not be restricted to the Atlantic Ocean, with its range possibly extending into the Indian Ocean and to the Pacific Ocean. It is found in tropical and temperate regions.

<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.

<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>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 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.

<i>Linophryne lucifer</i> Species of fish

Linophryne lucifer is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Linophrynidae, the leftvents, a group of deep water anglerfishes. This species is found in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is the type species of the genus Linophryne.

References

  1. 1 2 Knudsen, S. (2015). "Gigantactis vanhoeffeni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T60470687A60788211. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T60470687A60788211.en . Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Gigantactis vanhoeffeni". FishBase . June 2024 version.
  3. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Gigantactis". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  4. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Gigantactinidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. E. Bertelsen; Theodore W. Pietsch; and Robert J. Lavenberg (1981). "Ceratioid anglerfishes of the family Gigantactinidae: morphology, systematics, and distribution". Contributions in Science (Los Angeles). 332: 1–74.