| Halicmetus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Halicmetus ruber | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Lophiiformes |
| Family: | Ogcocephalidae |
| Genus: | Halicmetus Alcock, 1891 |
| Type species | |
| Halicmetus ruber Alcock, 1891 | |
Halicmetus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The fishes in this genus are widely distributed in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
Halicmetus was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1891 by the British physician and zoologist Alfred William Alcock when he described Halicmetus ruber. [1] The type locality of H. ruber was given as the Andaman Sea at 11°31'40"N, 92°46'06"E at a depth of 188–220 fathoms (1,128–1,320 ft; 344–402 m), the Investigator station 115. [2] This genus is classified within the "Indo-Pacific clade" of the family Ogcocephalidae. [3] The family Ogcocephalidae is classified in the monotypic suborder Ogcocephaloidei within the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes in the 5th edition of Fishes of the World . [4]
Halicmetus contains eight recognised species: [5] [2] [6]
Halicmetus seabats are characterised by their very flattened heads with the front edge of the head being either broadly rounded or squared off. The snout extends out over the small mouth and the front edge of the disc of the head. The dorsal fin is either tiny or is not present. The whole body is covered in scales developed into small bucklers and small tubercles. The subopercular buckler is moderately well developed and has some small terminal spinules. The second and third gill arches have gill filaments; the fourth does not. Gill rakers are found on the first to third gill arches. The esca, or lure, is bulbous and triangular with a fringe on its lower edge and typically has a pair of cirri on its upper surface The teeth on the vomer and palate are arranged in three neighbouring quadrangular patches and those on the tongue in two joined and elongated patches. [6] These fishes are no longer than 9 cm (3.5 in) in length. [5]
Halicmetus seabats are found in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans, as far west as northern Madagascar, north to Japan, south to Australia and east as far as New Caledonia. [2] These are bathydemersal fishes found at depths between 280 and 1,000 m (920 and 3,280 ft). [7]
The pancake batfish, Atlantic pancake batfish, Louisiana pancake batfish or spiny batfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes or seabats. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.
Ogcocephalidae is a family of anglerfish specifically adapted for a benthic lifestyle of crawling about on the seafloor. Ogcocephalid anglerfish are sometimes referred to as batfishes, deep-sea batfishes, handfishes, and seabats. They are found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. They are mostly found at depths between 200 and 3,000 m, but have been recorded as deep as 4,000 m (13,000 ft). A few species live in much shallower coastal waters and, exceptionally, may enter river estuaries.
The starry handfish, starry seabat or minipizza batfish, is species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep-sea batfishes or seabats. This fish is found on the continental shelves of the Indo-Pacific oceans at depths of between 50 and 400 m. They are up to 30 cm long.
Ogcocephalus parvus, the roughback batfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the batifishes. This species has a wide distribution in the Western Atlantic Ocean.
Halieutichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep-sea batfishes or sea bats. The fishes in this genus are found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Halieutopsis is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes beloning to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The species in this genus are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Malthopsis, the gnome batfishes or triangular batfishes, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The triangular batfishes are distributed throughout the warmer waters of the world, although they are absent from the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. The genus was originally proposed in 1891 by the British naturalist Alfred W. Alcock.
Coelophrys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep-sea batfishes or sea bats. The fishes in this genus are found in the western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
Dibranchus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The fishes in this genus are widely distributed in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Halieutaea is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. These fishes are found in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
Ogcocephalus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The species in this genus are found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Western Atlantic Ocean, with most species in the eastern Atlantic Ocean where they live at shallower depths than the other ogcocephalid genera.
Solocisquama is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The species in this genus are benthic fishes found in deep waters in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Ogcocephalus corniger, the longnose batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. This fish is found at depths between 29 and 230 m in the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas. Like other members of the family Ogcocephalidae, it has a flat triangular body with coloring varying from yellowish to purple with pale, round spots. The lips are orange-red. Projecting from its head is a characteristic structure that is shared by other anglerfish.
Halieutichthys bispinosus, the two-spine batfish or spiny batfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes or seabats. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.
Ogcocephalus notatus, the marked batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. It is found in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean.
Malthopsis gnoma, the Atlantic triangular batfish, gnome seabat or grotesque seabat, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep-sea batfishes. The grotesque seabat is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.
Ogcocephalus rostellum, the palefin batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Ogcocephalus nasutus, the shortnose batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. This species is found in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean.
Halieutaea indica, the Indian batfish, Indian handfish or Indian seabat, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The Indian batfish has a wide Indo-West Pacific distribution.
Malthopsis bradburyae, Bradbury's triangular batfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep-sea batfishes. This little known species is found in the western Indian Ocean off Tanzania and is named in honour of the American ichthyologist Margaret G. Bradbury.