| Halieutichthys | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pancake batfish (H. aculeatus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Lophiiformes |
| Family: | Ogcocephalidae |
| Genus: | Halieutichthys Poey, 1863 |
| Type species | |
| Halieutichthys reticulatus Poey, 1863 | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
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.
Haleutichthys was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1863 by the Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey when he described Halieutichthys reticulatus, [1] the type locality was given as off Cuba. H. reticulatus is now considered to be a junior synonym of Lophius aculeatus which had been described by Samuel Mitchill in 1818. [2] Halieutichthys is divided into two clades, one being the H. aculeatus species complex with H. caribbaeus being the sister taxon to that clade. [3] This genus is classified within the "Eastern Pacific/Western Atlantic clade" of the family Ogcocephalidae. [4] 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 . [5]
Halieutichthys combines the genus name Halieutaea, for the similarity of these fishes to the species in that genus, and ichthys, the Greek word for "fish". [6]
Halieutichthys currently contains four recognized species: [7]
| Image | Name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Halieutichthys aculeatus Mitchill, 1818 [3] | Pancake batfish | western Atlantic, North Carolina, northern Gulf of Mexico to northern South America |
| Halieutichthys bispinosus H. C. Ho, Chakrabarty & Sparks, 2010 [3] | Spiny batfish | Gulf of Mexico | |
| Halieutichthys caribbaeus Garman, 1896 | Caribbean batfish | Western central Atlantic: Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. | |
| Halieutichthys intermedius H.C. Ho, Chakrabarty & Sparks, 2010 [3] | Louisiana pancake batfish | Gulf of Mexico | |
Halieutichthys batfishes have a flattened head and body which are widened into a rounded disc, with a moderately long tail. The mouth is very small, as is the illicial cavity on the snout which is covered by puffy, membranous folds. The esca is a single bulb. The pupils are covered. There is a buckler at the angle of the preoperculum which is not larger than the nearby bucklers. The openings of the gills are small and they are located to the rear of the upper base of the pectoral fins. The gill rakers are similar to small teeth set on short stalks. They have small dorsal and anal fins which are located to the rear of the body. The bases of the pectoral fins have a wide attachment to the body and the pelvic fins are not reduced in size. The lateral line is complete and there are a pair of lateral line organs on the caudal peduncle just in front of the anus. There are no tubercles along the lateral line. The scales are large, irregular and pitted, resembling small shields. The adults are scaleless on the underside of the body and large areas of the upperside are also without scales. [8] These are relatively small anglerfishes with the largest being H. aculeatus with a maximum published total length of 10 cm (3.9 in). [7]
Halieutichthys batfishes are found in the Western Atlantic Ocean. The aculeatus species group is found in the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern coasts of the United States while H. cariibaeus is found in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. These fishes are found on sandy substrates at depths between 10 and 800 m (33 and 2,625 ft). [3]
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.
The sea toads and coffinfishes are a family, the Chaunacidae, of deep-sea ray-finned fishes belonging to the monotypic suborder Chaunacoidei within the orderLophiiformes, the anglerfishes. These are bottom-dwelling fishes found on the continental slopes of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, at depths to at least 2,460 m (8,070 ft). There have also been findings of deep-sea anglerfishes off the coasts of Australia and New Caledonia. Other findings suggest some genera of Chaunacidae are found near volcanic slopes encrusted with manganese. Of the two genera in the family, Chaunacops are typically found at deeper depths than Chaunax, but with considerable overlap between the two genera.
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 pink frogmouth, or redeye, pink gaper or uniform gaper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Chaunacidae, the sea toads. This species is found in the Atlantic Ocean.
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.
Tetrabrachiidae, or the four-armed frogfishes or doublefin frogfishes, is a small family of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the suborder Antennarioidei in the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. These fishes are found in relatively shallow waters of the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean.
Chaunax, variously known as coffinfishes, gapers or frogmouths, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes, it is one of two genera belonging to the family Chaunacidae, the sea toads. They are found in tropical and subtropical oceans around the world typically in deep water.
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.
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.
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.
Lophiodes is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Lophiidae, the goosefishes, monkfishes and anglers. It is one of four extant genera in the family Lophiidae. The fish in this genus are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Sladenia is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Lophiidae, which includes the goosefishes, monkfishes and anglers. These are deepwater anglers found in theIndian Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Western Pacific Ocean.
Ogcocephalus porrectus, the rosy-lipped batfish, is endemic to Cocos Island off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Though members of Ogcocephalidae occur in tropical, warm waters in both the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. Rosy-lipped batfish generally reside in shallow to deep water benthic zones with a bathymetric range of 35 – 150 m. The syntypic series was collected at 120 m on a rocky bottom. What makes this fish distinctive are its rosy red lips, specialized pectoral fins used for "walking", and an illicium used for attracting prey.
The Atlantic batfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep-sea batfishes. It is found in deep water in the Atlantic Ocean where it lives on the seabed, feeding on small invertebrates.
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.
Antennatus strigatus, the bandtail frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frog fishes. This species is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Abantennarius is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The fishes in the genus are found in the Indian, Pacific and, one species, in the Western Atlantic Oceans.
Dibranchus tremendus is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep-sea batfishes. It is found in deep water in the Atlantic Ocean. This species was identified as a different species from Dibranchus atlanticus in 1999. It is the largest species in its genus.
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.