goosefish

Goosefishes
Angler, Lophius piscatorius
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Lophiiformes
Family:	Lophiidae
Genera
Lophiodes Lophiomus Lophius Sladenia See text for species.

Goosefishes are a family, Lophiidae, of anglerfishes. They are found in the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans where they live on sandy and muddy bottoms of the continental shelf and continental slope, at depths in excess of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).^[1]

Like most other anglerfishes, they have a very large head with a large mouth that bears long, sharp, recurved teeth. Also like other anglerfishes, the first spine of the spinous dorsal fin has been modified as an angling apparatus (illicium) that bears a bulb-like or fleshy lure (esca). The angling apparatus is located at the tip of the snout just above the mouth and is used to attract prey. Lophiid anglerfishes also have two or three other dorsal fin spines located more posteriorly on the head, and a separate spinous dorsal fin with one to three spines located more posteriorly on the body just in front of the soft dorsal fin. In the more primitive anglerfish genera (Sladenia and Lophiodes) the gill opening extends partially in front of the elongated pectoral fin base. In the derived lophiid genera (Lophiomus and Lophius), and all other anglerfishes, the gill opening does not extend in front of the pectoral fin base. The largest goosefishes may exceed 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in length.^[2]

Several of the large species in the genus Lophius, commonly known as monkfishes in northern Europe, are important commercially fished species.^[3] The liver of goosefishes, known as ankimo, is considered a delicacy in Japan.

Species

American angler (Lophius americanus) at the New England Aquarium.

There are 25 species in four genera:

• Genus Lophiodes
  • Lophiodes abdituspinus Ni, Wu & Li, 1990.
  • Lophiodes beroe Caruso, 1981.
  • Lophiodes bruchius Caruso, 1981.
  • Spottedtail angler, Lophiodes caulinaris (Garman, 1899).
  • Lophiodes fimbriatus Saruwatari & Mochizuki, 1985.
  • Lophiodes gracilimanus (Alcock, 1899).
  • Lophiodes infrabrunneus Smith & Radcliffe, 1912.
  • Natal angler, Lophiodes insidiator (Regan, 1921).
  • Longspine African angler, Lophiodes kempi (Norman, 1935).
  • Lophiodes miacanthus (Gilbert, 1905).
  • Lophiodes monodi (Le Danois, 1971).
  • Smooth angler, Lophiodes mutilus (Alcock, 1894).
  • Goosefish, Lophiodes naresi (Günther, 1880).
  • Reticulated goosefish, Lophiodes reticulatus Caruso & Suttkus, 1979.
  • Threadfin angler, Lophiodes spilurus (Garman, 1899).
• Genus Lophiomus
  • Blackmouth angler, Lophiomus setigerus (Vahl, 1797).

The skeleton of an American angler (Lophius americanus) goosefish

An American angler, Lophius americanus, lying camouflaged on a northern rocky reef.

• Genus Lophius
  • American angler, Lophius americanus Valenciennes, 1837.
  • Black-bellied angler, Lophius budegassa Spinola, 1807.
  • Blackfin goosefish, Lophius gastrophysus Miranda-Ribeiro, 1915.
  • Lophius litulon (Jordan, 1902).
  • Angler, Lophius piscatorius Linnaeus, 1758.
  • Shortspine African angler, Lophius vaillanti Regan, 1903.
  • Cape monk, Lophius vomerinus Valenciennes, 1837.
• Genus Sladenia
  • Sladenia gardineri Regan, 1908.
  • Sladenia remiger Smith & Radcliffe, 1912 Celebes monkfish.
  • Sladenia shaefersi Caruso & Bullis, 1976.

References