Ogcocephalus

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Ogcocephalus
Ogcocephalus parvus.jpg
Roughback batfish, Ogcocephalus parvus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Ogcocephalidae
Genus: Ogcocephalus
G. Fischer, 1813
Type species
Lophius vespertilio
Synonyms [1]

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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Ogcocephalus Was first proposed as a genus in 1813 by the German anatomist, entomologist and palaeontologist Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim. [1] Lophius vespertilio, which was described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae published in 1758, is designated as the type species, probably designated by David Starr Jordan and Barton Warren Evermann in 1896. [2] This genus is classified within the "Eastern Pacific/Western Atlantic 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]

Etymology

Ogcocephalus is a combination of ogkos, which means “hook”, and cephalus, meaning “head”, an allusion to the pointed rostrum on the snout snout of the type species. [5]

Species

Slantbrow batfish 2010.jpg
Slantbrow batfish (Ogcocephalus declivirostris).jpg
Slantbrow batfish (Ogcocephalus declivirostris)

There are currently 13 recognized species in this genus: [6]

Characteristics

Ogcocephalus batfishes are characterised by having a flattened head, although this is raised above the disc of the body which is triangular in shape. [7] The flattened head and body of these fishes is often referred to as the "disc" and is made up of the head and the body as far as the axilla of the pelvic fins, the forward edge of the disc is made up of the extended bones of the operculum sweeping backwards from the cranium and surrounding the trunk on either side. [8] The horn-like rostrum on the snout varies from short to long and projects far beyond the eyes. The esca has 3 fleshy points and is kept on a small illivial cavity us small and is located under the rostrum. There is a spine at the angle of the operculum which is blunt or small, or to may be large but has no spinules. The gill rakers are oval-shaped plates with a covering of small teeth. The eyes are on the sides of the head. The gill openings are small and are located to the rear of the upper bases of the pectoral fin. The pectoral and pelvic fins are resemble limbs and the pectoral fins are wholly separate from body. Thee small dorsal and anal fins are covered in skin and are located on the upper and lower surfaces of the tail. The dorsal surface of the body has scales that resemble large bucklers and conical spines. The ventral surface of the body is wholly covered in pointed, bony scales while the ventral surface of the tail has a dense covering of small spines, sometimes with a small number of conical spines along its midline. [7] The smallest species in the genus is the dwarf batfish (O. pumilus) with a maximum standard length of 6.2 cm (2.4 in) while the largest is the seadevil (O. vespertilio) with a standard length of 30.5 cm (12.0 in). [6]

Distribution and habitat

Ogcocephalus batfishes are found in the tropical and temperate seas of the Americas with 2 species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and 11 in the Western Atlantic Ocean. [6] In the Atlantic Ocean the fishes in this genus occur from Cape Hatteras south as far as Uruguay. Thys are found in shallower waters than other genera in the family Ogcocephalidae with most specimens taken at depths of less than 100 m (330 ft), a few at depths up to 200 m (660 ft) and. exceptionally, from depths greater than 350 m (1,150 ft). [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pancake batfish</span> Species of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogcocephalidae</span> Family of fishes (anglerfish)

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.

<i>Ogcocephalus vespertilio</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus vespertilio, the Brazilian batfish or seadevil, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Oceean. The Brazilian batfsish is the type species of the genus Ogcocephalus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-lipped batfish</span> Species of fish

The red-lipped batfish or Galápagos batfish is a fish of unusual morphology found around the Galápagos Islands and off Peru at depths of 3 to 76 m. Red-lipped batfish are closely related to rosy-lipped batfish, which are found near Cocos Island off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. This fish is mainly known for its bright red lips. Batfish are not good swimmers; they use their highly adapted pectoral, pelvic and anal fins to "walk" on the ocean floor. When the batfish reaches maturity, its dorsal fin becomes a single spine-like projection.

<i>Ogcocephalus parvus</i> Species of fish

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.

<i>Halieutopsis</i> Genus of fishes

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.

<i>Malthopsis</i> Genus of fishes

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.

<i>Dibranchus</i> Genus of fishes

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.

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.

<i>Ogcocephalus radiatus</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus radiatus or the polka-dot batfish is an arrow-shaped fish in the family Ogcocephalidae with an elongated thin tail. It is dorso-ventrally flattened with round pectoral fins that sit flat on the bottom of the sea floor. It uses its pectoral fins and pelvic fins to "walk" along the bottom in a side-to-side shuffling motion.

<i>Ogcocephalus corniger</i> Species of fish

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.

<i>Ogcocephalus notatus</i> Species of fish

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.

<i>Malthopsis gnoma</i> Species of fish

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 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.

<i>Ogcocephalus declivirostris</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus declivirostris, the slantbrow 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 from the northern Gulf of Mexico to the Straits of Florida.

<i>Ogcocephalus pantostictus</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus pantostictus, the spotted 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, somewhat restricted to the northern and the western Gulf of Mexico.

<i>Ogcocephalus pumilus</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus pumilus, the dwarf 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. It is the smallest species in the genus Ogcocephalus.

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.

<i>Ogcocephalus cubifrons</i> Species of fish

Ogcocephalus cubifrons, the spotted batfish or polka-dot batfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. This is an uncommon demersal fish found in the Western Atlantic Ocean and the southern Gulf of Mexico, in the United States, Mexico and the Bahamas.

<i>Ogcocephalus nasutus</i> Species of fish

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.

References

  1. 1 2 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Ogcoephalidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Ogcocephalus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  3. Valerie Derouen; William B. Ludt; Hsuan-Ching Ho; Prosanta Chakrabarty (2015). "Examining evolutionary relationships and shifts in depth preferences in batfishes (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 84: 27–33. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.12.011.
  4. 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.
  5. Christopher Scharpf (3 June 2024). "Order LOPHIIFORMES (part 1): Families LOPHIIDAE, ANTENNARIIDAE, TETRABRACHIIDAE, LOPHICHTHYIDAE, BRACHIONICHTHYIDAE, CHAUNACIDAE and OGCOCEPHALIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2024). Species of Ogcocephalus in FishBase . February 2024 version.
  7. 1 2 "Genus: Ogcocephalus, Batfishes". Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute . Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  8. 1 2 Margaret G. Bradbury (1980). "A revision of the fish genus Ogcocephalus with descriptions of new species from the western Atlantic Ocean (Ogcocephalidae; Lophiiformes)". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 4. 42 (7): 229–285.