Order

Lophiiformes

  Class

Actinopterygii

No. in FishBase

Genera : 1 | Species : 6 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes

  Environment

Fresh : No | Brackish : No | Marine : Yes

  Division

Marine

  Aquarium

none

  First Fossil Record

     

  Remark

From Nelson (1994). Distribution: Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific. (Ref. 7463) All oceans. (Ref. 86949) Distinguishing character: Arrangement of unpaired fins, in all members of this family, notably having dorsal fin rays exceeding three times the number of anal-fin rays. Females with short, globose body and large pendulous belly (indicating its capacity to take in considerably large prey, exceeding its body size). Large, well-toothed, dorsally-directed mouth, opening almost vertically. Smooth, rounded head lacking sphenotic spines; quadrate, articular, and preopercular spines also lacking. Esca comparatively simple, almost always bearing laterally compressed anterior and posterior crests with no filaments or appendages. Natural coloration is velvety black but specimens easily turn deep brownish red (even orange) in preserving fluids and the effect of photochemical bleaching. Although skin may appear naked and smooth, microscopic, widely-spaced dermal spinules are present in some specimens. Well-developed eyes in metamorphosed males, laterally directed and elliptically shaped with the pupil larger than the lens. Large olfactory organs with inflated, laterally-directed nostrils. Lacking jaw teeth. Upper denticulars with 2 - 3 semicircular series of strong recurved denticular teeth, fused with a median series of 3 - 9 enlarged dermal spines that is joint with the illicial pterygiophore. Lower denticulars with 10 - 23 recurved denticles, fused into 1 median and 2 lateral groups. Males free-living, never parasitic; 2 known males in temporary attachment to females. Larvae with short, spherical body; skin moderately inflated; normal sized pectoral fins, not exceeding the length of dorsal and anal fins; and useful in identification is the unpaired fin-ray counts which is consistent with the adults of both genders. Sexual dimorphism evident in all stages; females possessing a small, club-shaped illicial rudiment projecting from the head. Metamorphosis starts at 0.8 - 1.0 cm length. Fin ray counts: 15 to 23 pectoral-fin rays; and 9 (1 simple + 6 bifurcated + 2 simple) caudal-fin rays. Largest recorded female at 13.5 cm and largest recorded metamorphosed male at 2.8 cm, both M. johnsonii (the holotype of Xenoceratias micracanthus in the latter). (Ref. 86949) Comments: Dorsal fin rays rarely 12 or 17; anal-fin rays rarely 3 or 5. (Ref. 86949)

  Etymology

Greek, 'melas' or 'melanos' = black + Greek, 'ketos' = any large sea creature, more often referring to a whale (Ref. 86949).

  Reproductive guild

nonguarders

  Typical activity level

  Main Ref

Nelson, J.S. 1994

  Coordinator

  Deep Fin Classification

Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Euteleosteomorpha | Neoteleostei | Eurypterygia | Ctenosquamata | Acanthomorphata | Euacanthomorphacea | Percomorphaceae | Percomorpharia | Lophiiformes | Ceratioidei | Melanocetidae