Black seadevil
| Black seadevils | |
|---|---|
| Humpback anglerfish, Melanocetus johnsonii | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Lophiiformes |
| Suborder: | Ceratioidei |
| Family: | Melanocetidae T. N. Gill, 1879 |
| Genus: | Melanocetus Günther, 1864 |
| Type species | |
| Melanocetus johnsonii Günther, 1864
| |
| Species | |
|
See text. | |
The black seadevils are a genus of anglerfish that live in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Only one species, M. rossi, lives in the Ross Sea.
Description
These fish are called "black seadevils" because of their vicious-looking appearance, which is signified by their sharp teeth. They have round bodies and a bioluminescent appendage.
Species
The genus contains 6 species:
- Melanocetus eustalus Pietsch & Van Duzer, 1980
- Melanocetus johnsonii Günther, 1864 (Humpback anglerfish)
- Melanocetus murrayi Günther, 1887 (Murray's abyssal anglerfish)
- Melanocetus niger Regan, 1925
- Melanocetus polyactis Regan, 1925
- Melanocetus rossi Balushkin & Fedorov, 1981 (Ross Sea anglerfish)
Gallery
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Melanocetus eustalus
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References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Melanocetus.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Melanocetus". FishBase. April 2012 version.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Melanocetus johnsonii, Humpback anglerfish" Archived 2024-11-27 at the Wayback Machine. FishBase. 2015 version.
- "Elusive Black Seadevil gets close up".