dorippe frascone , the urchin crab or carrier crab , is a small species of crab in the family dorippidae that was first described scientifically by j.f.w. herbst , in 1785 .

it is found in the red sea and parts of the western and eastern indian ocean .

it often has a symbiotic relationship with a long-spined sea urchin and carries one around on its carapace .

dorippe frascone

what type of species is dorippe frascone ? below , you will find the taxonomic groups the dorippe frascone species belongs to .
which photographers have photos of dorippe frascone species ? below , you will find the list of underwater photographers and their photos of the marine species dorippe frascone .
how to identify dorippe frascone marine species ? below , you will find the list of main identification criteria and physical characteristics of marine species dorippe frascone . for each identification criteria , the corresponding physical characteristics of marine species dorippe frascone are marked in green .
where is dorippe frascone found in the world ? below , you will find the list and a world map of the geographic distribution where the marine species dorippe frascone can be found .
nick hope added the english common name
urchin crab
to
dorippe frascone ( herbst 1785 )
.
sea urchin crab ( eng ) - dorippe frascone ( lat ) ( dorippidae ) – grows up to 15 cm .
dorippe frascone carrying cassiopeia andromeda on its back . photo adapted from a photo copyrighted to teresa zubi at url : urltoken
sea urchin crab , dorippe frascone , carrying a sea urchin , astropyga radiata , lembeh strait , north sulawesi , indonesia .
sometimes , cassiopea spp . may be carried on the backs of urchin crabs ( dorippe frascone ) for defense against their predators .
species name : dorippe frascone ( herbst , 1785 ) identification key carapace nodular and wrinkled ; spine of inner canthus of orbit ponderous , curved and serrated along under surface ; fourth pair of true legs less than half of second pair .
citation :
urchin carry crabs , dorippe frascone ~ marinebio . org .
marinebio conservation society . web . accessed monday , july 9 , 2018 . < urltoken > . last update : 5 / 28 / 2013 11 : 27 : 00 pm ~ contributor ( s ) : marinebio
latreille , p . a . , 1817 . dorippe , dorippe , fab . in : nouveau dictionnaire d ' histoire naturelle , appliquée aux arts , à l ' agriculture , à l ' économie rurale et domestique , à la médecine , etc . , 9 : 545 - 548 . paris .
defrance , j . l . m . , 1819 . dorippe . ( foss . ) dictionnaire des sciences naturelles , 13 : 444 - 445 . strasbourg and paris .
research dorippe frascone » barcode of life ~ bioone ~ biodiversity heritage library ~ cites ~ cornell macaulay library [ audio / video ] ~ encyclopedia of life ( eol ) ~ esa online journals ~ fishbase ~ florida museum of natural history ichthyology department ~ gbif ~ google scholar ~ itis ~ iucn redlist ( threatened status ) ~ marine species identification portal ~ ncbi ( pubmed , genbank , etc . ) ~ ocean biogeographic information system ~ plos ~ siris ~ tree of life web project ~ unep - wcmc species database ~ worms
serène , r . & k . romimohtarto , 1969 . observations on the species of dorippe from the indo - malayan region . marine research in indonesia ( penelitian laut di indonesia ) , 9 : 1 - 35 , figs 1 - 29 , pls 1 - 6 .
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urltoken
to license this image , contact jonathan bird or search for more images on this site . this is a copyrighted image and may not be used in any way without the express written permission of a representative of jonathan bird productions .
guinot , d . ( 1967 ) . la faune carcinologique ( crustacea brachyura ) de l ' ocean indien occidental et de la mer rouge . catalogue , remarques bibliographiques et biobliographie . bull . inst . fondamental d ' afrique noire ( ifan ) . 237 - 252 . [ details ]
blackmore , g . ; rainbow , p . s . ( 2000 ) . epibenthic crab ( malacostraca : brachyura ) assemblages of the southeastern waters of hong kong : the 2002 trawl programme . morton b , editor . proceedings of the tenth international marine biological workshop : the marineauna of hong kong and southern china . the marine flora and fauna of hong kong and southern china v . hong kong university press , hong kong . 517 - 533 . [ details ]
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the urchin crab is a spectacularly ugly crustacean . he is rarely seen when on scuba dives as he’s hiding under an urchin or whatever echinoderm happens to be available .
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chaloklum diving , 25 / 29 - 30 moo 7 , chaloklum village , koh phangan , suratthani 84280 . thailand .
during the 2005 asian diver shootout at lembeh strait , jennifer hayes , david doubilet , ned deloach , rod klein and i were invited to be judges for the competition . on the day of judging , when an image of a very unique hairy frogfish …
all photographs contained on this web site and photo galleries within this site are protected by international copyright laws .
we’re proud to feature the underwater images of our own photo pro sascha janson .
herbst 1785 , krabben und krebse , vol . 1 , p . 192 .
serene and romimohtarto 1969 , marine in indonesia , no . 9 , p . 6 .
jeyabaskaran and ajmalkhan 2000 , brachyuran crabs of gulf of mannar , p . 46 , pl . 41c .
holthuis and manning 1990 , researches on crustacea , special no . 3 , p . 15 .
database contains : 10 . 643 species ( 763 with photo ) , 1 . 682 genera , 124 families
strongly sculptured ; tubercles usually well indicated , sometimes low . surface covered by long , flexible hairs , worn off in old individuals . two lateral tubercles on
teeth flat , with narrowly rounded apices , separated by a deep but open v . lower
margin with row of 4 - 7 spines but without additional row of denticles .
type locality : tranquebar , india , 11°02 ' n , 79°51 ' e .
: 6 , figs 1 , 5 , 10 , 15a - b , pl . 1a - b , pl . 3a - c . - -
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de man , j . g . , 1896b . bericht über die von herrn schiffscapitän storm zu atjeh , an den westlichen küsten von malakka , borneo und celebes sowie in der java - see gegammelten decapoden und stomatopoden . theil iii . zoologische jahrbücher , abtheilung für systematik , geographie und biologie der thiere , 9 : 339 - 386 , figs 40 - 49 . [ 1896 / iv ]
desmarest , a . g . , 1817 . crustacés fossiles . nouveau dictionnaire d ' hisoire naturelle , appliquée aux arts , à l ' économie rurale et domestique , à la médicine , etc . , 8 : 495 - 519 . paris .
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gravely , f . j . , 1941 . shells and other animal remains found on the madras beach . i . groups other than snails , etc . ( mollusca gastropoda ) . bulletin of the madras government museum , new series ( natural history ) , 5 ( 1 ) : 1 - 112 .
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guérin - méneville , f . e . , 1829 - 1844 . crustacés . iconographie du règne animal de g . cuvier , ou représentation d ' après nature de l ' une des espèces les plus remarquables , et souvent non encore figurées , de chaque genre d ' animaux , avec un texte descriptif mis au courant de la science . ouvrage pouvant servir d ' atlas à tous les traités de zoologie ( crustacés ) : 1 - 48 , pls 1 - 35 . paris et londres . ( text ( 7 september 1844 ) , plate 1 ( 21 march 1829 ) , 2 ( 18 july 1829 ) , 3 ( 1831 ? - 1832 ) , 4 ( 1831 ? - 1837 ) , 5 ( 2 june 1832 ) , 6 ( 1831 ? - 1833 ) , 7 ( 1831 ? - 1834 ) , 8 ( 1831 ? - 1832 ) , 8bis , 9 ( 1831 ? - 1833 ) , 10 ( 2 june 1832 ) , 11 ( 1831 ? - 1833 ) , 12 ( 14 july 1832 ) , 13 ( 1831 ? - 1833 ) , 14 ( 14 july 1832 ) , 15 ( 1831 ? - 1835 ) , 16 ( 1831 ? - 1833 ) , 17 , 18 ( april 1836 ) , 19 ( 1831 ? - 1837 ) , 20 , 21 ( 1836 - 1837 ) , 22 - 24 ( 1831 ? - 1837 ) , 25 ( april 1836 ) , 26 , 27 ( 1836 ) , 28 - 31 ( 1836 - 1837 ) , 32 - 34 ( 1837 ) , 35 ( december 1837 ) . )
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rathbun , m . j . , 1910a . the brachyura . in : the danish expedition to siam , 1899 - 1900 . v . kongelige danske videnskabernes selskabs skrifter , kjøbenhavn , ( 7 ) 5 ( 4 ) : 301 - 367 , figs 1 - 44 , pls 1 - 2 , 1 map .
rathbun , m . j . , 1910c . the stalk - eyed crustacea of peru and the adjacent coast . proceedings of the united states national museum , 38 ( 1766 ) : 531 - 620 , figs 1 - 3 , pls 36 - 56 .
rathbun , m . j . , 1911 . marine brachyura . in : the percy sladen trust expedition to the indian ocean in 1905 , under the leadership of mr j . stanley gardiner . vol . iii , part ii , no . xi . transactions of the linnean society of london , ( zool . ) , ( 2 ) 14 ( 2 ) : 191 - 261 , figs 1 - 2 , pls 15 - 20 .
rathbun , m . j . , 1923a . report on the crabs obtained by the f . i . s . endeavour on the coasts of queensland , new south wales , victoria , south australia , and tasmania . 3 . biological results of the fishing experiments carried on by the f . i . s . endeavour 1909 - 14 . australian dept . trade & customs , fisheries , sydney , 5 ( 3 ) : 95 - 156 , figs 1 - 3 , pls 16 - 42 .
roxas , h . a . , 1930 . the puerto galera marine biological laboratory of the university of the philippines . ( a report to the president of the university , together with a check - list of animals of the puerto galera region ) , pp 1 - 24 , pls 1 - 4 . university of the philippines , manila .
sankarankutty , c . , 1966a . on decapoda brachyura from the gulf of mannar and palk bay . proceedings of the symposium on crustacea held at ernakulam from january 12 to 15 , 1965 . marine biological association of india , symposium series 2 ( 1 ) : 347 - 362 , pls 1 - 2 .
serène , r . , 1937 . inventaire des invertébrés marins de l ' indochine ( 1re liste ) . notes de l ' institut océanographique de l ' indochine , 30 : 1 - 84 .
serène , r . , 1968 . the brachyura of the indo - west pacific region . in : prodromus for a check list of the non - planctonic marine fauna of south east asia . unesco singapore national academy of sciences , special publication no . 1 , fauna iiic3 : 33 - 112 .
serène , r . , 1981a . trois nouvelles espèces de brachyoures ( crustacea , decapoda ) provenant de la baie de nhatrang ( vietnam ) . bulletin du muséum national d ' histoire naturelle , paris , ( 4 ) 3 ( section a , number 4 ) : 1127 - 1138 , figs 1 - 6 , pls 1 - 4 . ( in french with english summary ) .
shen , c . j . & j . y . liu , 1963 . preliminary studies on the characteristics of the crab fauna of chinese seas . oceanologia et limnologia sinica , 5 ( 2 ) : 139 - 153 . ( in chinese . )
shen , c . j . , 1931a . the crabs of hong kong . part 1 . hong kong naturalist , 2 ( 2 ) : 92 - 110 , 11 figs , pls 4 - 10 .
shen , c . j . , 1940a . the brachyuran fauna of hong kong . j . hong kong fish . res . sta . , 1 ( 2 ) : 211 - 242 .
shen , c . j . , 1940b . on the collection of crabs of south china . bulletin of the fan memorial institute of biology ( zool . ) , peiping , 10 ( 2 ) : 69 - 104 .
stephensen , k . , 1945 . the brachyura of the iranian gulf with an appendix : the male pleopod of the brachyura . in : danish scientific investigations in iran , part 4 . copenhagen , e . munksgaard : 57 - 237 , figs 1 - 60 .
stimpson , w . , 1907 . report on the crustacea ( brachyura and anomura ) collected by the north pacific exploring expedition , 1853 - 1856 . smithsonian miscellaneous collections , washington , 49 ( 1717 ) : 1 - 240 , pls 1 - 26 .
suvatti , c . , 1938 . a check - list of aquatic fauna in siam ( excluding fishes ) , 116 pp . bangkok .
suvatti , c . , 1950 . fauna of thailand . dept . fish . bangkok , thailand : ii , 1100 pp . , 1 pl .
thomassin , b . a . , 1974 . soft bottom carcinological fauna sensu lato on tuléar coral reef complexes ( s . w . madagascar ) : distribution , importance , roles played in trophic food - chains and in bottom deposits . proceedings of the second international coral reef symposium , 1 : 297 - 320 . great barrier reef committee , brisbane .
thomassin , b . a . , 1978 . peuplements des sédiments coralliens de la région de tuléar ( s . w . de madagascar ) et leur insertion dans le contxte côtier indo - pacifique . thése de doctorat d ' etat , université de aix - marseille , ii : 1 - 494 ; annexe 1 , tables 1 - 180 , figs 1 - 209 ; annexe 2 , 1 - 101 ; annexe 3 , 1 - 302 .
tyndale - biscoe , m . & r . w . george , 1962 . the oxystomata and gymnopleura ( crustacea , brachyura ) of western australia with descriptions of two new species from western australia and one from india . journal of the royal society of western australia , 45 ( 3 ) : 65 - 96 , figs 1 - 9 , pls 1 - 3 .
vine , p . , 1986 . red sea invertebrates . immel publishing , london : 1 - 224 , illustr .
weber , f . , 1795 . nomenclator entomologicus secundum entomologiam systematicam ill . fabricii adjectis speciebus recens detectis et varietatibus . chilonii and hamburgi , i - viii , 1 - 172 .
yang , c . m . , 1979 . a list of the brachyura in the zoological reference collection of the department of zoology , university of singapore . guides department of zoology , national university of singapore , 14 : i - viii , 1 - 60 .
zarenkov , n . a . , 1971 . on the species composition and ecology of decapoda in the red sea . in : v . a . vodyanitzkii ( ed . ) . benthos of the red sea ' s shelf . naukova dumka , kiev : 155 - 203 , 26 figs , 3 tabs . ( in russian . )
zimsen , e . , 1964 . the type material of j . c . fabricius , pp 1 - 656 , 2 pls . copenhagen .
the following is a representative barcode sequence , the centroid of all . . .
barcode of life data systems ( bolds ) stats public records : 2 specimens . . .
be , nosy ( nosy - be , nossi - be , nosibe , nossibé ) , faritany d ' antsiranana , madagascar collection date : . . .
nocturnal species ( ref . 7300 ) . inhabits reef flats and lagoon and seaward . . .
long considered as junior synonym of diadema setosum ( see mortensen , 1940b ) , . . .
seperti bintang laut , bulu babi juga termasuk ecinodermata , yang artinya
kulit . . .
depth : 0 - 40m . recorded at 40 meters . habitat : reef - associated . inhabits . . .
the family diadematidae has around 30 extant species , including some of . . .
diadema savignyi is an urchin that that displays pentamerism , which is . . .
for other urchins known as diadema urchin , see diadema urchin . the . . .
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updated on 9 july 2018 with 703 different species : 404 gastropods , 34 worms , 34 cephalopods , 42 frogfishes and scorpionfishes , 50 pipefishes and seahorses , 139 crustaceans . database updated on a daily basis as a result of encounter logbook compiled by guests and guides .
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- rachel carson
cassiopea sp . , photographed personally on 27 feb 2010 from the shores of pulau semakau , singapore .
cassiopea is a genus of jellyfish that live their lives standing on their heads . why would they do that ?
cassiopea spp . house thousands of photosynthetic zooxanthallae within their mesoglea ( berryman , n . d . ) . zooxanthallae provide carbon for the jellyfish , and in return , the jellyfish provide the zooxanthallae with minerals , shelter ( tan , 2009 ) and presumably protection . cassiopea spp . therefore live upside - down to allow their zooxanthallae companions access to sunlight . also for this reason , cassiopea spp . are found mainly in shallow marine waters – for example in the seagrass meadows of our very own pulau semakau ( tan , 2009 ) .
the symbiotic relationship between cassiopea jellyfish and zooxanthallae is not dissimilar to the one between zooxanthallae and corals . unlike with the corals however , the zooxanthallae do not provide for all of the carbon required by the jellyfish . instead of being able to wait for food to be put on their figurative tables , the jellies do actually still need to feed themselves to an extent ( vodenichar , 1995 ) , either through filter feeding , absorption of nutrients from the water , or by capturing prey with their nematocysts ( berryman , n . d . ) .
upside - down jellyfish do not stay put on the seafloor all of the time though ! if disturbed , a swarm of upside - down jellyfish can launch upwards ( maui ocean center , n . d . ) .
cassiopea sp . swimming upright , photographed personally , on 28 mar 2010 , from the shores of pulau semakau , singapore .
cassiopea sp . turning itself ‘the right way up’ , photographed personally , on 28 mar 2010 , from the shores of pulau semakau , singapore .
it seems like it’s mutualism with a dash of an exploitative interaction thrown into the mix , here .
second source : holland , b . s . , et al . , 2004 . global phylogeography of cassiopea ( scyphozoa : rhizostomeae ) : molecular evidence for cryptic species and multiple invasions of the hawaiian islands . marine biology , 145 ( 6 ) : 1119 - 1128 .
“upside - down jellyfish , ” by matt berryman . marine invertebrates of bermuda , n . d . . url : urltoken ( accessed on 14 april 2010 ) .
“upside - down jellyfish , ” maui ocean center marine life profile . maui ocean center , the hawaiian aquarium , n . d . url : urltoken ( accessed on 14 april 2010 ) .
“upsidedown jellyfish , ” by ria tan . wild factsheets , march 2009 . url : urltoken ( accessed on 14 april 2010 ) .
vodenichar , j . s . , 1995 . ecological physiology of the scyphozoan cassiopea xamachana . m . s . thesis , university of georgia , athens , usa .
these microscopic single cell algae live within the corals’ polyp tissues and are responsible for its colourations ( wildsingapore , 2008 ) .
corals have the inability to generate sufficient foods for survival ( megan , 2009 ) . by having zooxanthellae living in its cell tissues , these photosynthetic algae help to make foods for the corals polyps . the carbohydrates made are used by the polyp as nutrient for growth ( e . g . to build their calcium carbonate skeletons ) and the oxygen for respiration . carbon dioxide in return cycled back to the zooxanthellae . in the process , carbon dioxide are removed . this is important for polyp calcification under optimum conditions , thus accounting for the many coral reefs observed in singapore .
also , nitrogen and phosphorus are cycled . zooxanthellae take in ammonia as nutrient given off as waste by the polyp , and return amino acids back for its growth ( megan , 2009 ) . this thus provides a nutrient rich environment for excellent growth for both .
unusually warm or cool water temperatures , a change in salinity or excessive exposure to sunlight or shading or human activities ( e . g . sedimentation or land reclamation ) can lead to expulsion of the zooxanthellae by the corals ( wildsingapore , 2008 ) . this is known as
when this happens , this poses serious threat to singapore reefs as this may lead to coral death unless another algal mutualism can be re - established . this thus in turns affect the marine ecosystem as coral reefs support the survival of many marine organisms . one example is the 1998 coral bleaching event , affecting 50 - 90 % of the reef organisms ( reef ecology study team , nus , n . d ) . url : urltoken
it is thus strongly believed that more should be done to protect these coral reefs in singapore , both fiscal and public . corals have already many a time experience threats , losing their “beautiful” colouration and some even die locally . are you ready to let this happen again and bear the consequences of the possible complete extinction ?
second source link : reef corals : mutualistic symbioses adapted to nutrient - poor environments , by l . muscatine and james w . porter © 1977 american institute of biological sciences . url : urltoken . ( accessed on 10th april 2010 )
“hard corals and coral reefs” by wildfactsheets . wildsingapore , october 2008 . url : urltoken ( accessed on 10th april 2010 )
“symbiotic relationship between coral and algae - corals and zooxanthellae need each other to survive” by megan . j , 20th may 2009 . url : urltoken ( accessed on 10th april 2010 )
“coral reefs of singapore” by reef ecology study team , national university of singapore , n . d . url : urltoken ( accessed on 10th april 2010 )
“pulau hantu - a celebration of marine life : silts starving hantu’s reefs” by debby . hantu blog by habitatnews , 24 march 2005 . url : urltoken ( accessed on 10 th april 2010 )
“coral bleaching” by ria tan , wildsingapore . flickr from yahoo channel , 12 july 2009 . photo reference : 070701hntd2943 . url : urltoken ( accessed on10 th april 2010 )
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carapace quadrate to subquadrate , lateral margins relatively straight , parallel , slightly diverging posteriorly , no clear junction between anterolateral and posterolateral margins . front relatively broad . eyes small . antennules folded obliquely , antennae and antennules large . third maxillipeds with triangular merus , not completely covering anterior part of buccal cavern . chelipeds relatively small , robust , subequal . walking legs relatively long , with dense setae , last two legs markedly reduced , directed upward , subcheliform for carrying shells and sea anemones . abdomen of males and females with seven somites , all freely moving , first and second somites are seen from dorsal view . g1 stout ; g2 narrow , shorter than g1 .
alcock a ( 1896 ) material for a carcinological fauna of india . no . 2 : the brachyura oxystomata . j asiat soc bengal 65 ( 2 ) : 134–296
alcock a , anderson ars ( 1894b ) list of the shore and shallow water brachyura collected during the season 1893 - 94 . natural history notes from h . m . indian marine survey steamer “investigator” . ser . ii , no . 17 . j asiat soc bengal 63 : 197–209
apel m ( 2001 ) taxonomie und zoogeographie der brachyura , paguridea und porcellanidae ( crustacea : decapoda ) des persisch - arabischen golfes . fachbereich biologie , frankfurt am main
basson pw , burchard ja , hardy jt , price arg ( 1977 ) biotopes of the western arabian gulf : marine life and environments of saudi arabia . aramco , department of loss prevention and environmental affairs , dhahran
de man jg ( 1896 ) bericht über die von herrn schiffskapitän storm zu atjeh , an den westlichen küsten von malakka , borneo und celebes sowie in der java - see gesammelten decapoden und stomatopoden . dritter theil . zoologische jahrbücher , abtheilung für systematik , geographie und biologie der thiere 9 : 339–386 , figs 340–349
fabricius jc ( 1793 ) entomologia systematica emendata et aucta . secundum . classes , ordines , genera , species adjectis synonymis , locis , observationibus , descriptionibus ( tom . ii )
guinot d ( 1967a ) la faune carcinologique ( crustacea , brachyura ) de l’ocean indien occidental et de la mer rouge . catalogue remarques biogéographiques et bibliographie . mémoires de l’institut fondamental d’afrique noire 77 : 235–352
holthuis lb , manning rb ( 1990 ) crabs of the subfamily dorippinae macleay , 1838 , from the indo - west pacific region ( crustacea : decapoda : dorippidae ) . res crust tokyo 3 : 1–151 , figs 151–158
linnaeus c ( 1764 ) museum s . r . m . ludovicae ulricae reginae suecorum , gothorum , vandalorumque . in quo animalia rariora , exotica , imprimis insecta and conchilia describuntur and determinantur . literis & impensis direct . laur . salvii
manning rb , holthuis lb ( 1981 ) west african brachyuran crabs . smithson contrib zool 306 : 1–379
manning rb , holthuis lb ( 1986 ) preliminary descriptions of four new species of dorippid crabs from the indo - west pacific region ( crustacea : decapoda : brachyura ) . proc biol soc wash 99 : 363–365
miers ej ( 1884a ) crustacea . in : report on the zoological collections made in the indo - pacific ocean during the voyage of h . m . s . “alert” 1881–82 . part i . the collections from melanesia . the collections from melanesia . british museum , london , pp 178–322 , pls 118–132
naderloo r , sari a ( 2007a ) subtidal crabs of the iranian coast of the persian gulf : new collections and biogeographic considerations . aquat ecosyst health manage 10 : 341–349
naderloo r , ebrahimnejad s , sari a ( 2015 ) annotated checklist of the decapod crustaceans of the gulf of oman , northwestern indian ocean . zootaxa 4028 : 397–412
ng pkl , guinot d , davie pjf ( 2008 ) systema brachyurorum , part i . an annotated checklist of extant brachyuran crabs of the world . raffles bull zool suppl 17 : 1–286
nobili g ( 1906a ) crustacés décapodes et stomatopodes . in : mission j . bonnier et ch . perèz ( golfe persique , 1901 ) . bulletin scientifique de la france et de la belgique 40 : 13–159
nobili g ( 1906b ) faune carcinologique de la mer rouge . décapodes et stomatopodes . annales des sciences naturelles , ( zoologie ) 9 : 1–347
stephensen k ( 1946 ) the brachyura of the iranian gulf . danish scientific investigations in iran , part iv . e . munksgaard , copenhagen
tirmizi nm , kazmi qb ( 1986 ) marine fauna of pakistan . 4 . crustacea : brachyura ( dromiacea , archaebrachyura , oxystomata , oxyrhyncha ) . center of excellence , university of karachi
tirmizi nm , kazmi qb ( 1993 ) carcinological studies in pakistan , with remarks on species of the red sea and the mediterranean . bull inst oceanogr fish 9 : 347–380
titgen rh ( 1982 ) the systematics and ecology of the decapods of dubai , and their zoogeographic relationships to the arabian gulf and the western indian ocean . d phil thesis , texas a & m university , p 269
naderloo r . ( 2017 ) family dorippidae macleay , 1838 ( porter crabs ) . in : atlas of crabs of the persian gulf . springer , cham


melanocetus johnsonii is a species of fish in the family melanocetidae , the black seadevils .

it is known commonly as the humpback anglerfish , humpback blackdevil , and johnson 's anglerfish .

it is a deepwater fish living at depths of up to 4500 meters , but generally remaining above 1500 meters .

it is native to all the oceans of the world , where it can be found in tropical and many temperate regions .

it is even known from the ross sea in antarctica .

it was first discovered by and was named after james yate johnson .

humpback anglerfish

( 6 ) the population of humpback anglerfish is distributed widely and as a result they are captured the most . humpback anglerfish is found in almost all oceans .
( 2 ) the female humpback anglerfish is bigger than its male counterpart . the largest female humpback anglerfish is about 18cm long and the largest female will be less than 3cm long .
humpback anglerfish has a globular shape and bait appendix in the head to attract its preys .
( 16 ) the humpback anglerfish is a very unique variety of fish and its fierce appearance makes it noticeable .
( 7 ) humpback anglerfish is a well - known species that live in deep sea and these fishes appear very bizarre .
( 9 ) though the humpback anglerfish look ferocious it is small in size and it will have maximum length of 12cm .
the female anglerfish is more dominant . besides being smaller than the females , the male anglerfish cannot hunt its prey as ferociously as the female anglerfish .
the humpback anglerfish is a small type of deep - sea fish found in both games . it is native to deep areas .
( 4 ) the humpback anglerfish impales its prey using its sharp teeth . the mouth is enormously large and the lower jaw can be brought downwards enabling the anglerfish to capture the preys that are of larger size than the anglerfish itself .
( 19 ) the translucent teeth of the humpback anglerfish is very sharp and the teeth will have maximum length of 3 ½ feet .
( 3 ) because of its peculiar body shape , the humpback anglerfish cannot swim fast . the tip of the protruding piece of spine from the head of the humpback anglerfish is called esca . the anglerfish attracts its prey with the bioluminescence of the esca which is produced by symbiotic bacteria . when the surroundings are dark , the glowing esca attracts the prey .
( 13 ) while hunting the prey , the humpback anglerfish effectively prevents the prey from escaping with the help of the sharp teeth that are angled inwards .
the humpback angler is a dangerous enemy in seashine , using its light to make up for its clumsiness and lack of speed , just like in reality ! here ' s a good look ! humpback anglerfish closeup urltoken video recorded with everyplay . download seashine on the app store : urltoken
( 11 ) since the humpback anglerfish is a bioluminescent animal , it emits blue light and as a result it is almost invisible to the other creatures that live in deep sea .
( 5 ) the lateral line of the humpback anglerfish will sense the pressure and movements in the surroundings . the dots that are found on the face of the anglerfish are part of the lateral line and they are the organs that sense the movements in water .
this anglerfish can puff up its body to swallow prey that is even larger than itself , but if the prey is too large the anglerfish may also die .
now for anglerfish haiku . feel free to include yours below in the comments .
( 15 ) the humpback anglerfish is found in the oceans at depths not less than 3000 feet and at that level of the deep sea it is completely dark and the water is close to freezing temperature .
( 10 ) the anglerfish has soft bones and flesh and its eye are small .
deep sea anglerfish have a really interesting way of reproducing ; and by
really interesting
, i mean really creepy . for one , male anglerfish are smaller than female anglerfish ;
it is about the size of a small finger and black in color
(
life in the deep sea is difficult , so many fishes there have special adaptations to improve their ability to feed and to mate . humpback anglerfish may not regularly encounter suitable prey , so they have very large mouths and stomachs and long , pointy teeth in order to facilitate capturing and swallowing anything that they find . they also have a lure , like all anglerfishes , that they use to attract prey . the humpback anglerfish’s lure is filled with bacteria that make their own light . using a muscular skin flap , a humpback anglerfish can either hide or reveal its lighted lure . by pulsing the light and moving the lure back and forth , they successfully attract pelagic crustaceans , fishes , and other prey .
( 1 ) the humpback anglerfish is one among the six species belonging to the black sea devil family . this species was first identified by the english naturalist james yates johnson and hence the fish is given the scientific name melanocetus johnsonii .
humpback anglerfish are not eaten by people , and there is no evidence to suggest that people have any negative affects on their populations . they are likely naturally rare , however , and any changes to the deep - sea environment could threaten this interesting species .
the humpback anglerfish is an angry - looking species that live in deep sea . it is also one of the ugliest animals on earth . more than 200 species of anglerfish have been identified and most of the species are found in the depths of atlantic and antarctic oceans . generally , anglerfish species are gray to dark brown in color . they have large sized head and big crescent - shaped mouth full of sharp teeth which are translucent . most of the anglerfish species are less than a foot long while a few are as long as 1 meter . the male anglerfish is smaller than the female and the female fish has a piece of dorsal spine protruding above its mouth . with the big mouth and the flexible body , the anglerfish swallows prey which is twice to its size .
( 8 ) the round body of the anglerfish makes it easy for the fish to swallow the prey .
the humpback anglerfish is a medium sized ( 7 inches / 18 cm ) anglerfish that lives in the bathypelagic zone of the open ocean . living at depths of at least 6600 feet ( 2000 m ) , this species lives its life in the complete absence of sunlight . anglerfishes , in general , are named for the modified dorsal fin spine that they use to lure prey .
looking like something out of a science fiction movie , the anglerfish uses a natural lure to draw its next meal nearer .
the anglerfish ' s light emanates from the end of fishing - rod - like extension on its forehead . it uses this surprising
( 18 ) since the anglerfish has large head its mouth is also large and the mouth is crescent shaped and filled with large teeth .
) and can be found worldwide . it is also called the black seadevil . they can reach up to about 5in in length . this anglerfish gets its name from their dorsal spine - it makes their back look humped . the spine also leads to the photophore atop of their head . the body of this anglerfish is round , and it has a large mouth with teeth that angle inward . humpback anglerfish can be brown , dark gray , or black . the skin of an anglerfish tend to be fleshy and light - reflective ; this helps them adapt to their surroundings as well as defend themselves against predators . fleshy skin helps the fish to stay warm since it is very cold at the depths that they live at . having skin that reflects light also helps to not only hide themselves when they are using their lophophore , but other predators that use light to find prey will tend to look over the deep sea anglerfish because they would not be able to see them .
uwate , k . r . 1979 . revision of the anglerfish diceratiidae with descriptions of two new species . copeia , 1979 ( 1 ) : 129 - 144 .
( 12 ) the wide and round body of the anglerfish makes it difficult for the fish to swim in water and instead of swimming it wobbles in the water .
the humpback blackdevil is a soft - bodied fish that lacks scales and pelvic fins . females have a large head and mouth , with long pointed teeth . there is a short illicium with a bulbous esca on the snout . live fish are black .
) . a thin , gelatinous sheet containing the anglerfish ' s eggs floats in the water until the eggs hatch . the larvae then swim to the surface to eat plankton , and return to the deep sea when they become adults . the video below is another great video on how this reproduction strategy was discovered and how the anglerfish reproduce !
of course our favorite at dsn is the black devil or humpback anglerfish ( melanocetus johnsonii , class actinopterygii , order lophiiformes , family melanocetidae ) the vertebrate poster child for deep - sea science . and what’s not to love ? the size of a tennis ball , the females can swallow prey four times their size because of a flabby stomach . thanks to tiny fins and a virtually absent tail these fleshy footballs are not going anywhere fast .
male and female humpback blackdevils look very different . females have a large head and mouth , with long pointed teeth . they grow to 18 cm in length . males , however , are slender fish that lack a lure and only grow to 2 . 9 cm .
fast , t . n . 1957 . the occurrence of the deep - sea anglerfish , cryptopsaras couesii in monterey bay , california . copeia , 1957 ( 3 ) : 237 - 240 .
( 17 ) with its dark brown color , the large head and very large teeth , the anglerfish has a frightening appearance . there are only few creatures in the sea that look so dreadful .
) . after this , the male and female are essentially one , and the male will spend the rest of his life on the female . the female anglerfish can have multiple male anglerfish on her body at one time - usually up to seven males . when it comes to reproduction ,
. . . when the female is ready to spawn , she already has a mate available
(
the deep sea angler is found throughout the world ' s oceans at depths of over 3 , 000 feet ( 914 meters ) . at this depth , there is almost no light and the water is near freezing . many species of anglerfish are fished commercially throughout the world . they are compared to lobster in taste and texture . in japan , anglerfish is considered a delicacy and can fetch a premium price .
gon , o . 1992 . a new deep - sea anglerfish of the genus linophryne ( teleostei : ceratioidei ) from the central equatorial pacific ocean . micronesica , 25 ( 2 ) : 137 - 143 .
julie , i really liked your section on the reproduction of the anglerfish ! i have to admit the video was a little creepy , but i learned something new . i also didn ' t know about that ct scanning method for developing images of specimens . it ' s incredible to see the all structural features of the anglerfish plus what it had for its last meal . kudos to you for finding such an awesome youtube video !
kharin , v . e . 1984 . two new species of deep water anglerfish ( ceratioidei : himantolophidae ; gigantactinidae ) from the north pacific . j . ichthyol . , 24 ( 3 ) : 112 - 117 .
the anglerfish uses a shiny lure to bring prey within range of its sharp teeth . but it also has a weirdly clingy side - after finding a female , the male black devil angler latches on and never lets go !
obviously , the anglerfish ' s photophore is the characteristic that most people identify with . that , or most people think
that scary fish from finding nemo ?
- - yes . this photophore dangles above their head and lights up . the anglerfish ' s prey is attracted to this light ; if you remember the scene in finding nemo , you see marlin and dory swim toward the light thinking that it is just a beautiful little friend . (
machida , y . & t . yamakawa . 1990 . occurrence of the deep - sea diceratiid anglerfish phrynichthys wedli in the east china sea . proc . jap . soc . syst . zool . , 42 : 60 - 65 .
( 14 ) the female anglerfish will lay eggs on a sheet of gelatinous material . the sheet floats on water and the eggs will hatch to larvae . the larvae are fed on plankton and when they mature they returns to deep sea .
) . after a male anglerfish matures , their digestive systems degenerate . obviously , if they do not have a digestive system , it makes it impossible to eat , let alone live . this is when the male anglerfish finds a female to attach to with his teeth . he is able to find a female based on pheromones that the females gives off .
once he bites into their skin , he releases an enzyme that dissolves the skin of his mouth and that of her body
(
the anglerfish uses its illuminated lure as its hunts for prey . this specialized spine is highly maneuverable and can be moved in any direction . the anglerfish is known to remain completely motionless , waving its lure back and forth like a fishing pole . when the prey fish gets close enough , the angler snaps it up with its powerful jaws and swallows it whole . the sharp teeth of the angler are angled inwards , which helps to prevent the prey from escaping . the anglerfish can extend both its jaw and its stomach to an incredible size , allowing it to swallow prey twice the size of its entire body . since food can be scarce in the deep sea , this special adaptation allows it to stock up on food during times of plenty .
the angry - looking deep sea anglerfish has a right to be cranky . it is quite possibly the ugliest animal on the planet , and it lives in what is easily earth ' s most inhospitable habitat : the lonely , lightless bottom of the sea .
balushkin , a . v . & v . v . fedorov . 1985 . caulophryne pietschi sp . nov .  a new species of moss anglerfish ( caulophrynidae ) from notal waters of the southwestern pacific ocean . vopr . ikhtiol . , 25 ( 6 ) : 1035 - 1037 .  . 1986 . a new species of double anglerfish , diceratias trilobus sp . n . ( diceratiidae ) , ceratioidei ) from the coast of japan . vopr . ikhtiol . , 26 ( 5 ) : 855 - 856 .
munk , o . & e . bertelsen . 1980 . on the esca light organ and its associated light - guiding structures in the deep - sea anglerfish chaenophryne draco ( pisces , ceratioidei ) . vidensk . meddr . dansk naturh . foren . , 142 : 103 - 129 .  . 1983 . histology of the attachment between the parasitic male and the female in the deep - sea anglerfish haplophryne mollis ( brauer , 1902 ) ( pisces , ceratioidei ) . vidensk . meddr . dansk naturh . foren . , 144 : 49 - 74 .
anglerfish : these fishes inhabit in the deepest parts of the oceans and present the optimal colouration to absorb the few light that arrive and , in this way , to be camouflaged . they present a light in the end of the antenna , which let them to capture preys .
the deep sea anglerfish has a round body that resembles a basketball , and indeed , it looks like it could easily swallow one . it has a very large mouth with sharp , fang - like teeth . its grotesque appearance has earned it the nickname
common black devil
. despite its ferocious appearance , the angler is a small fish , reaching a maximum length of only about five inches ( 12 centimeters ) . the color of this anglerfish ranges from brown to dark gray or black . it has soft flesh and bones and small eyes . its skin is specially adapted to reflect blue light . since nearly all light emitted from bioluminescent creatures is blue , the anglerfish can be nearly invisible to other deep sea animals . due to its wide , round body , it cannot swim very fast . instead , it somewhat
wobbles
through the water .
herring , p . j . & o . munk . 1994 . the escal light gland of the deep - sea anglerfish haplophryne mollis ( pisces : ceratioidei ) with observations on luminescence control . j . mar . biol . assn . u . k . , 74 : 747 - 763 .
munk , o . & p . j . herring . 1996 . an early stage in development of escae and caruncles in the deep - sea anglerfish cryptopsaras couesi ( pisces : ceratioidei ) . j . mar . biol . assn . u . k . , 76 : 517 - 527 .
a linophryne brevibarbata species of anglerfish . that attachment at the rear of her belly is not an appendage . it ' s a tiny male that has permanently fused to her . had the pair not been caught , he would have lived the rest of his life like this , supplying sperm and pulling nourishment from her blood . photo copyright london natural history museum
the anglerfish dangles the photophore to catch their prey ' s attention while the rest of their bodies stay completely still . they tend to keep their mouths open , and when their prey gets close enough , they will slam their mouths shut trapping their prey inside where they will then eat them ; this is why their teeth are angled inwards - so their prey cannot escape . one thing that an anglerfish has the ability to do is extend their jaws and stomach to be able to eat and swallow prey that are twice its size . this is a great adaptation for the fish considering that there is not a lot of food in the depths of the ocean . having the ability to expand their stomach comes in handy , because then they can conserve energy just in case they are not able to find food for a longer period of time . the video below gives a great look at a specimen of a different species of anglerfish ; i thought it would be good to post , though , because you can see how large its stomach can expand to eat their prey .
trunov , i . a . 1974 . a rare species of anglerfish ( paroneirodes wedli ( pietschmann , 1926 ) ) . j . ichthyol . , 14 ( 1 ) : 145 - 147 .  . 1981 . the ichthyofauna of the valdivia submarine bank ( southeastern atlantic ) . byull . moip otd . biol . , 86 ( 5 ) : 51 - 64 .
the lure is also used to attract a mate . the only individuals that fit the above description are females . females are the large , ambush predators ; females have the lighted lures . males are very small ( one inch / three centimeters ) and are not predatory . once they hatch , they spend all of their energy searching for mates , biting onto larger females , and fertilizing their eggs . in many deep - sea anglerfishes , the male becomes parasitic and never releases from his mate again , feeding from her blood , and becoming little more than a sperm factory . that is not , however , the case in the humpback anglerfish . after only a short union , the male releases and seeks out another mate . even though they form these tight bonds during mating , reproduction occurs via external fertilization . the female releases her eggs into the deep water column , and the male immediately releases his sperm , which locate and fertilize the eggs .
bertelsen , e . & t . w . pietsch . 1977 . results of the research cruises of frv
walther herwig
to south america . xlvii . ceratioid anglerfishes of the family oneirodidae collected by the frv
walther herwig .
arch . fischwiss . , 27 ( 3 ) : 171 - 189 .  . 1983 . the ceratioid anglerfishes of australia . recs . australian mus . , 35 : 77 - 99 .  . 1984 . results of the research cruises of frv
walther herwig
to south america . lxiii . a resurrection of the ceratioid anglerfish ceratias tentaculatus ( norman , 1930 ) with notes on the occurrence of the species of ceratias in the atlantic ocean ( pisces : lophiiformes ) . arch . fischwiss . , 35 ( 1 / 2 ) : 43 - 51 .  . 1996 . revision of the ceratioid anglerfish genus lasiognathus ( lophiiformes : thaumatichthyidae ) . copeia , 1996 ( 2 ) : 401 - 409 .  . 1998 . revision of the deepsea anglerfish genus rhynchactis regan ( lophiiformes : gigantactinidae ) , with descriptions of two new species . copeia , 1998 ( 3 ) : 583 - 590 .
but if the deep - sea anglerfish happened to have the cognitive and physical capabilities required to produce its own such films , there’d be decidedly fewer plot twists . every single movie would go a little something like this : boy meets girl , boy bites girl , boy’s mouth fuses to girl’s body , boy lives the rest of his life attached to girl sharing her blood and supplying her with sperm . ah , a tale as old as time .
“the idea is basically that it’s a deep - sea economy measure , ” ichthyologist james maclaine of london’s natural history museum wrote in an email to wired . “an anglerfish couple requires about half of the amount of food they would if the male was the same size as the female ( and presumably living an unattached life ) . he is stripped down to the absolute bare essentials , she has to remain big due to the relative cost of making large eggs as opposed to tiny sperm . ”
there are more than 200 species of anglerfish , most of which live in the murky depths of the atlantic and antarctic oceans , up to a mile below the surface , although some live in shallow , tropical environments . generally dark gray to dark brown in color , they have huge heads and enormous crescent - shaped mouths filled with sharp , translucent teeth . some angler fish can be quite large , reaching 3 . 3 feet in length . most however are significantly smaller , often less than a foot .
have the ability to bioluminesce . other predatory deep - sea fish use bioluminescent light to confuse prey , to see their prey , to startle predators , to attract mates , and more . lots of non - fish species use bioluminescence as well  some bacteria , sponges , jellyfish , crustaceans , segmented worms , squids , sharks , and even plenty of terrestrial species like fireflies . all bioluminescence is caused by a chemical reaction . some of these organisms produce the necessary chemicals themselves , while others , like the anglerfish , rely on the help of
davis , m . p . , holcroft , n . i . , wiley , e . o . , sparks , j . s . , and smith , w . l . 2014 . species - specific bioluminescence facilitates speciation in the deep sea . marine biology ( italicize that ) . doi 10 . 1007 / s00227 - 014 - 2406 - x . anglerfish photo by edith widder / eol and licensed via creative commons ; glowworm photo from wikimedia commons contributor wofl and licensed via creative commons ; bioluminescent fungus from wikimedia commons contributor ylem and licensed via creative commons .
munk , o . 1988 . glandular tissue of escal light organ in the deep - sea anglerfish oneirodes eschrichti ) pisces , ceratioidei ) . a light and electron microscopic study . vidensk . meddr . dansk naturh . foren . , 147 : 93 - 120 .  . 1992 . accessory escal gland ( aeg ) in some deep - sea anglerfishes . acta zool . , 73 ( 1 ) : 33 - 37 .  . 1998 . light guides of the escal light organs in some deep - sea anglerfishes ( pisces ; ceratioidei ) . acta zool . , 79 ( 3 ) ; 175 - 186 .
is one of the most bizarre - looking fish in the sea . known scientifically as melanocetus johnsoni , it is also one of the best - known creatures of the deep . it is one of about 200 species of anglerfish found throughout the world ' s oceans . the angler gets its name from the elongated dorsal spine that supports a light - producing organ known as a photophore . through a chemical process known as bioluminescence , this photophore can produce a blue - green light similar to that of a firefly on land . the fish uses this appendage like a fishing lure , waving it back and forth to attract its prey .
the deep - sea anglerfishes of southern africa were last reviewed in the book smiths sea fishes ( pietsch , 1986a ) , with seven species recorded . p . c . heemstra ( 1995 second edition ) added two species of the family linophrynidae previously recorded from off south africa . since 1986 three papers have treated anglerfishes from our waters ( balushkin and trunov , 1988 ; bertelsen and krefft , 1988 ; bertelsen and pietsch , 1996 ) , but we found several unrecorded specimens in collections and other records that were overlooked by pietsch in his accounts . here we provide information on a total of 32 deep - sea anglerfish species from our area .
two species of melanocetus occur in australian waters . the second is murray ' s abyssal anglerfish , melanocetus murrayi . females can be distinguished by the shape of the anterior margin of the vomer ( nearly straight in m . johnsonii vs deeply concave in m . murrayi ) and size and shape of the escal bulb . males can be distinguished by the number of denticular teeth on the snout and lower jaw ( 11 or more and 12 - 24 respectively for m . johnsonii vs 3 - 5 and 10 - 13 for m . murrayi ) and the number of dorsal and pectoral fin rays ( 13 - 15 and 17 - 20 for m . johnsonii vs 12 - 14 and 15 - 18 for m . murrayi ) .
imagine descending into the ocean ' s depths in a submarine . at first , you are in a bright underwater world , full of fish , marine mammals , plankton , and coral reefs . this is called the epipelagic zone . as you move deeper into this alien universe and approach the depth of 200 meters , your surroundings become dark rapidly , and you can barely make out the shapes of organisms . you are now in the mesopelagic zone , the twilight zone . below 1000 meters ( bathypelagic zone ) , the underwater world outside your submarine window becomes completely dark . to reach the bottom of the ocean , however , you would still have to descend about four times as deep as you are now ! moving deeper into the blackness , you see a tiny light in the inky depths ( abyssopelagic zone ) . what illuminates the ocean where sunlight can ' t penetrate ? an animal that makes its own light  the anglerfish , a member of the
the deep sea anglerfish has an extremely unusual method of reproduction . the male angler is much smaller than the female and completely different in appearance . it is about the size of a small finger and black in color . when a male angler matures , its digestive system degenerates , making it impossible for it to feed on its own . it must now find a female or die of starvation . the male angler has small hook teeth , which it uses to attach itself to the female . once he bites into her skin , he releases an enzyme that dissolves the skin of his mouth and that of her body . the two become fused together and their blood vessels join as one . the male will spend the rest of its life joined to the female like a parasite , getting all of his nourishment from her body . a female can carry up to six males on her body at a time . this bizarre method of reproduction helps to ensure that when the female is ready to spawn , she has a mate instantly available . the female will lay her eggs in a thin sheet of gelatinous material two or three feet ( about one meter ) wide and about 30 feet ( 9 meters ) long . this thin sheet of eggs floats free in the sea until the eggs hatch into tiny larvae . once hatched , the larvae swim to the surface and feed on plankton . as they mature , they return to the depths below .
the species is sexually dimorphic . females grow to 18 cm in length but males only grow to 2 . 9 cm .
it occurs at mesopelagic depths in tropical and temperate waters worldwide . in australia it is known from off central to southern new south wales and near norfolk island .
the map below shows the australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in australian museums . source : atlas of living australia .
bertelsen , e . , & pietsch , t . w . 1983 . the ceratioid anglerfishes of australia . records of the australian museum . 35 : 77 - 99 .
pietsch , t . w . 1999 . melanocetidae . in carpenter , k . e . & v . h . niem ( eds ) . fao species identification guide for fishery purposes . the living marine resources of the western central pacific . volume 3 . batoid fishes , chimaeras and bony fishes part 1 ( elopidae to linophrynidae ) . fao , rome . pp . iii - vi , 1398 - 2068 .
stewart , a . l . & t . w . pietsch . 1998 . the ceratioid anglerfishes ( lophiiformes : ceratioidei ) of new zealand . journal of the royal society of new zealand . 28 ( 1 ) : 1 - 37 .
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is circumglobally distributed in the meso - bathypelagic zones . it is a rare , deep - dwelling species . it may occur as bycatch in trawl fisheries , but it is not utilized and there are no major threats . it is therefore listed as least concern .
melanocetus johnsonii is distributed from the atlantic , pacific and indian oceans between 66 o n and 53 o s and it has occurred in nets fishing at zero to 2 , 100 m depth , but mostly shallower than 1 , 500 m ( pietsch 2009 ) . vakily et al . ( a study by fishbase on west african fishes ; 2002 ) report m . johnsonii as distributed off the cape verde islands . this species occurred in a trawl survey conducted off the coast of namibia between the years 1992 - 1996 ( hamukuaya et al . 2001 ) . in the western atlantic it is distributed from 175 - 2 , 700 m depth ( mostly greater than 2 , 100 m ) from greenland south to argentina ( moore et al . 2003 ) . one specimen occurred in icelandic waters at 62°50’n , 30°35’w ( jonsson and palsson 1999 ) . near hawaii , it is known from oahu and johnson atoll from 600 - 1 , 000 m depth ( mundy 2005 ) . this species occurs off of japan from the pacific coast of tohoku district and around okinotorishima island ( nakabo 2002 ) .
is known from at least 852 female specimens and eight males ( pietsch 2009 ) . melanocetids are solitary species that do not occur abundantly ( pietsch in press ) .
melanocetus johnsonii females have a maximum size of 15 . 4 cm sl , while males are up to 2 . 8 cm ( pietsch 2009 ) . melanocetids are deep - sea fishes that inhabit the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones . they exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism . females attract prey with an elongate first dorsal spine that has been modified as a lure . males have highly developed sensory organs that allow them to find females at which point they will temporarily attach themselves to the body ( pietsch in press ) . vakily et al . ( 2002 ) describe m . johnsonii as bathypelagic with a maximum size of 3 cm tl off of west africa .
melanocetus johnsonii is not utilized ( pietsch in press ) . this species may be caught in trawls off of namibia ( bianchi et al . 1999 ) .
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ichthyological bulletin j . l . b . smith institute of ichthyology issn : 0073 - 4381 num . 70 , 2001 , pp . 1 - 32
m . eric anderson 1 and robin w . leslie 2 1 j . l . b . smith institute of ichthyology , private bag 1015 , grahamstown 6140 , south africa . 2 sea fisheries research institute , private bag x2 , roggebaai 8012 , south africa .
little was known about ceratioids until the major oceanographic expeditions of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries . landmark papers on these fishes include regan , 1926 ( on the danish north atlantic expeditions of the ship dana ) , parr , 1927 ( on the american atlantic expeditions of the pawnee ) , regan and trewavas , 1932 ( an update of regans 1926 work ) , bertelsen , 1951 , ( a major ichthyological tome featuring descriptions of almost every ceratioid species then known ) , and pietsch , 1974 , ( an osteological study and revision of the largest family , the oneirodidae ) . papers by the latter two workers , often as co - authors , make up the bulk of the systematic literature on ceratioids , much of it cited herein .
methods of measurement generally follow pietsch ( 1974 ) , except head depth is greatest depth behind sphenotic spine , except in melanocetidae where it is from top of sphenotic bone to ventral base of quadrate ; postorbital length is distance from posterior margin of eye in a direct line to posterior edge of preopercle or to its middle when it is posteroventral to the orbit ; interorbital width is least bony distance (
least outside width between frontals
; pietsch and van duzer , 1980 ) ; pectoral base width is from articulation of base of uppermost ray to base of lowermost ; gill slit length is fleshy distance with opening often manually adjusted to its most relaxed position ; caudal peduncle length is from base of last anal - fin ray at its exit from the musculature , not the skin , to posterior edge of lower hypural plate .
the fishing
lure ,
or illicium , in ceratioids is tipped with a luminescent organ , the esca , except in the caulophrynidae , and in the gigantactinid genus rhynchactis . the illicium of rhynchactis macrothrix , a species that has been taken just outside our area , is tipped with a slight bulbous swelling , but this is not an esca ( bertelsen and pietsch , 1998 ) . often the esca is adorned with spinules , papillae and a variety of filaments and appendages . illicium length is measured from its base only to the distal end of the bulb of the esca . other light organs include the hyoid barbels of linophryne and the dorsal midbody caruncles in ceratiids . tooth counts are a summation of both sides of each jaw . free - living metamorphosed males have a unique toothy bone articulating with the anterior ends of both jaws called the upper and lower denticulars ; their denticles form into rows and are counted . scales are often modified into skin spinules ( = prickles or dermal spines elsewhere ) , or greatly enlarged bucklers ( himantolophidae ) .
the bulk of our specimens were collected during routine cruises of the south african sea fisheries research institutes vessel africana since 1984 , and csirs vessel meiring naudé during a programme with the south african museum between 1975 and 1979 ( louw , 1977 , 1980 ) . ship stations in the materials sections of the former are designated
a
and of the latter ,
sm .
other specimens from voyages of foreign vessels , particularly from denmark , germany , russia and spain , are detailed in full . order of presentation of families follows bertelsen ( 1984 ) , repeated by eschmeyer ( 1990 ) and nelson ( 1994 ) . vernacular names of families are after weitzman ( 1997 ) . diagnoses are of the various taxa ( families , genera , species ) worldwide . the species descriptions are based on southern african specimens only when we have examined the material ; otherwise the descriptions are taken from the literature . damaged specimens missing crucial anatomical parts ( like barbels or escae ) usually cannot be identified ; these are listed in each family account . synonymies are not extensive here and are mainly confined to the most important and / or illustrative literature . the major revisionary literature is identified in each section and should be consulted for complete synonymies and other illustrative or descriptive accounts .
our southern africa coverage area is expanded from that of smith and heemstra ( 1986 ) because we feel that their coverage is restrictive with regard to deep - pelagic fishes , as it is biased against usually broad , open - ocean distributions . this step is taken because the southern africa region is a major transit zone between the two areas of highest ceratioid diversity , the north atlantic and the indo - west pacific . our area is still restricted somewhat and extends from southern angola ( 15 e s ) west to the greenwich meridian , south to 40 e s , east to 40 e e and north to 15 e s off mozambique . several species are known to occur just outside this limit and are not included here .
abbreviations for museums holding specimens are : boc : bingham oceanographic collection , yale university , usa ; bmnh : british museum ( natural history ) , london , u . k . ; iipb , instituto de investigaciones pesqueras de barcelona , spain ; ioan : p . p . shirshov institute of oceanology , moscow , russia ; ish , institut für seefischerei , hamburg , germany ; rusi , j . l . b . smith institute of ichthyology , grahamstown ; sam , south african museum , cape town ; uw , university of washington , seattle , usa ; zin ( zisp or zil elsewhere ) , zoological institute , st . petersburg , russia ; zmuc , zoologisk museum , university of copenhagen , denmark . other abbreviations are : a , anal - fin rays ; c , caudal - fin rays ; d , dorsal - fin rays ; p , pectoral - fin rays ; bt , bottom trawl ; mwt , midwater trawl ( usually an engels - 308 or an rmt - 8 , both fished open ) ; sl , standard length .
this key , slightly modified from that of bertelsen and pietsch ( 1983 ) , is based only on those genera of the families presently known from our waters .
diagnosis : females with globose bodies ; esca a simple rod , with 5 minute appendages , the illicium more than 200 % sl ( robia ) , or filamentous , illicium less than sl ( caulophryne ) ; dorsal and anal - fin rays extremely elongate ; d 6 ( robia ) or 14 - 22 ( caulophryne ) ; a 5 ( robia ) or 12 - 19 ( caulophryne ) ; p 15 - 18 ; c 8 ; body and head with hair - like cirri ( seismosensory neuromasts at tips of these ) ; branchiostegal rays 6 ( rarely 5 ) . other characters , mostly osteological , given by pietsch ( 1979 ) . males known from three specimens , two attached to females and one in metamorphosis ( bertelsen , 1951 , fig . 11c ; pietsch , 1979 , fig . 23 ) . maximum length 14 cm sl . males parasitic . meso - and bathypelagic from about 275 to below 1500 meters .
two genera , robia pietsch , 1979 , with one species , and caulophryne goode & bean , 1896 , with 4 species , one of which is known in our area from a single female . last reviewed by pietsch ( 1979 ) who recognized 3 species . balushkin and fedorov ( 1985 ) described a fourth , caulophryne pietschi , from the southwestern pacific ( campbell plateau ) .
caulophryne goode & bean , 1896 diagnosis : illicium length less than 50 % sl ; d 14 - 22 , longest ray greater than 70 % sl ; a 12 - 19 , longest ray greater than 60 % sl .
caulophryne polynema caulophryne polynema regan , 1930 : 191 , figs . 1 - 3 ( off madeira ) . regan & trewavas , 1932 : 100 ( after regan , 1930 ) . bertelsen , 1951 : 36 . pietsch , 1979 : 16 , figs . 20 , 21 . bertelsen , 1986 : 1373 , text fig . bertelsen , 1991 : 491 ( syn . ) .
caulophryne jordani polynema : bertelsen , 1951 : 33 , 37 . fig . 12 , ( as subspecies of c . jordani ) . grey , 1956 : 233 ( syn . , distr . ) . lloris , 1986 : 249 , fig . 130 ( descr . ; off namibia ) .
diagnosis : illicium with translucent filaments along entire length , more than 50 in specimens larger than 32 mm sl ; illicial length less than 35 % sl ; upper jaw with 30 or more teeth in specimens larger than 20 mm sl ; d 19 - 22 ; a 17 - 19 .
description : ( data from lloris , 1986 ; specimen damaged ) . illicial filaments translucent , most filaments arising from posterior surface . esca a posterolateral appendage with a flattened , bilobed , opaque distal tip and a terminal appendage also with an opaque tip . escal appendages highly filamentous , these conveying light to their tips in life ( pietsch , 1979 , fig . 21 ) . jaws subequal , with two rows of hair - like cirri on lower jaw , coursing dorsally along preopercular margin . cirri also present on snout , suborbital region , top of head and along dorsum to caudal peduncle . dorsal - fin base 24 % sl ; anal - fin base 15 % sl ; illicial length 29 % sl ; pectoral - fin 18 % sl ; snout 16 % sl ; eye diameter 3 % sl . counts : d 22 ( 24 shown in lloris , 1986 , fig 130 ) ; a 18 ; p 16 ( 14 shown ) ; c 8 .
distribution : in northern and southeastern atlantic ; off hawaii and southern california , usa . two specimens from opening - closing midwater trawls were captured between 900 and 1250 m ; all others are from open nets ( pietsch , 1979 ) .
material : iipb 383 / 1981 ( female ; 100 mm sl ) ; off orange banks , namibia ; 28 e 02 ' s , 14 e 35 ' e ; bt , 0 - 585 m ; muestreos ( of benguela programme ) ; 7 nov . 1980 ( lloris , 1986 ) . not seen .
diagnosis : females with gelatinous , globose body ; mouth steeply oblique ; jaws with elongate , depressible fangs anteriorly ; illicium and esca without denticles ; escae simple , with conical tip or single , short appendage , anterior and posterior crests in larger m . johnsonii ; hyoid barbel absent ; minute epidermal spines ( skin spinules ) present in some species ; d 12 - 17 ; a 3 - 5 ; p 15 - 23 ; c 9 ; branchiostegal rays 6 ; vertebrae 20 . other ( osteological ) characters are given by pietsch and van duzer ( 1980 : 67 ) .
males without jaw teeth ; eyes ovoid , directed laterally , with aphakic space ( pupil larger than lens ) ; lower denticular bone with medial , forward - projecting group of teeth and a right and left , upwardly - directed lateral group ; upper denticular bone with a few semicircular series of teeth fused with a median series of 3 - 9 enlarged dermal spines ( bertelsen , 1951 , fig . 14 ) ; nostrils lateral , nasal lamellae 9 - 24 , increasing with size ; d 12 - 16 ; a 4 ; c 9 .
a single genus , melanocetus günther , 1864 , with 6 species , 2 in our area . last reviewed by pietsch and van duzer ( 1980 ) . males free - living , not yet known from our area . adults meso - and bathypelagic , from about 250 m to below 3000 m . females of m . johnsonii reach 18 cm sl . recorded prey includes fishes and crustaceans . munk et al . ( 1998 ) described the development of the escal light organ in two species showing that the luminescent bacteria are not present in the organ until a duct connecting the light gland to the exterior develops , strongly suggesting that the bacteria enter the light organ from the sea . melanocetus rotundatus gilchrist , described from off south africa , was considered
almost certainly
a junior synonym of m . johnsonii ( penrith , 1967 ; pietsch and van duzer , 1980 ) . the two syntypes of m . johnsonii have been lost ( winterbottom , 1974 ; gon and skelton , 1997 ) .
remarks : pietsch and van duzer ( 1980 ) examined numerous male specimens , but concluded that since the work of bertelsen ( 1951 ) , they could add no new diagnostic characters to adequately identify any male with a species based on females . however , bertelsen ( 1986 ) identified and illustrated a 28 mm male , apparently covered with skin spinules , as m . johnsonii , and provided a key to males of both m . johnsonii ( w ith concentration of subdermal pigment on caudal peduncle ) and m . murrayi ( no pigment subdermally on caudal peduncle ) . detecting the shape of the vomer in females of the two species in our area requires a probe or some dissection . small specimens of m . murrayi have a much less bowed vomer than that shown in pietsch and van duzer ( 1980 , figs 2 , 5 ) .
1a . anterior margin of vomer almost straight ; number of lower jaw teeth about 35 - 75 in specimens over 25 mm sl ; pectoral base width 11 - 18 % sl ; skin spinules covering body and head ( only to top of head in small specimens ) m . johnsonii
melanocetus johnsonii günther , 1864 : 301 , pl . 25 ( off madeira ) . goode & bean , 1896 : 494 , fig . 406 ( after günther , 1864 ) . fitch & lavenberg , 1968 : 127 , fig . 70 . paulin et al . , 1989 : 140 .
melanocetus johnsoni : brauer , 1906 : 318 . regan , 1926 : 4 - 6 , 8 - 10 , 18 , 33 , fig . 10 . parr , 1927 : 29 . norman , 1930 : 354 . regan & trewavas , 1932 : 27 - 29 , 49 - 52 , figs . 19 - 22 , 72 , 73 . koefoed , 1944 : 3 , pl . 1 , fig . 1 . bertelsen , 1951 : 7 , 40 , 41 , 43 - 46 , 48 - 53 , figs . 13 , 15 , 17 - 19 . grey , 1956 : 235 ( syn . , males ) . maul , 1961 : 90 , fig . 1 . maul , 1962 : 36 , fig . 2 ( male ) . struhsaker , 1962 : 841 . pietsch & van duzer , 1980 : 71 , figs . 1 , 3 , 6 , 16b , 17 , 25 ( fam . rev . ) . pietsch & seigel , 1980 : 381 . bertelsen & pietsch , 1983 : 81 , fig . 2 . masuda et al . , 1984 : 108 , pl . 93i . pietsch , 1986a : 375 , text fig . lloris , 1986 : 242 , fig . 124 . paxton et al . , 1989 : 287 . bertelsen , 1991 : 492 .
diagnosis : esca bilobed , with posterior and usually anterior crests ; number of lower jaw teeth 32 - 78 . anterior margin of vomer almost straight ; minute skin spinules cover most of body ; interorbital width 14 - 29 % sl ; width of pectoral base 11 - 18 % sl ; escal bulb width 4 - 9 % sl ; illicium length 32 - 61 % sl . see also pietsch and van duzer ( 1980 ) .
description : esca with distal prolongation ; anterior and posterior crests in largest specimens . head deeper than long , mouth vertical , eye minute . measurements in percent sl : head length 37 - 48 ; head width 35 - 51 ; head depth 65 - 77 ; postorbital 15 - 32 ; upper jaw 52 - 72 ; lower jaw 53 - 75 ; snout 9 - 21 ; eye diameter 5 - 8 ; interorbital width 18 - 26 ; longest upper jaw tooth 7 - 15 ; longest lower jaw tooth 12 - 18 ; illicium 36 - 48 ; esca length 8 - 12 ; esca esca 4 - 8 ; gill slit 17 - 24 ; pectoral base width 10 - 16 ; pectoral - fin 16 - 31 ; predorsal 59 - 67 ; preanal 82 - 84 ; body depth at anal - fin origin 39 - 49 ; dorsal - fin base 29 - 32 ; anal - fin base 7 - 10 ; longest dorsal ray 20 - 40 ; longest anal ray 16 - 35 ; least caudal peduncle depth 16 - 20 ; peduncle length 6 - 16 . counts : d 13 - 16 ; a 3 - 4 ; p 17 - 19 ; upper jaw teeth 32 - 87 ; lower jaw teeth 34 - 62 ; vomerine teeth 5 - 8 .
distribution : in all three major oceans from about 50 e n to 50 e s ( pietsch and van duzer , 1980 , fig . 30 ) .
remarks : three specimens from our area with greatly distended stomachs were examined for prey items . these were : 1 ) sam 34768 ( 51 mm sl ) , with a juvenile macrourid , nezumia micronychodon , and two lanternfish , lampanyctus sp . each of these prey exceeded 10 cm ; 2 ) sam 31207 ( 57 mm sl ) , with a 62 mm lampanyctine myctophid ; and 3 ) sam 31582 ( 53 mm sl ) , with 5 maurolicus walvisensis , 23 - 32 mm sl , 1 bolinichthys longipes , 87 mm sl , and 1 electrona carlsbergi , 40 mm sl .
melanocetus murrayi günther , 1887 : 57 , pl . 11a ( central atlantic ) . regan , 1926 : 32 , 33 ( in part ) . parr , 1927 : 27 . regan & trewavas , 1932 : 27 , 49 - 50 , fig . 22c , 23 , 71 . bertelsen , 1951 : 40 , fig . 16 . grey , 1956 : 234 ( syn . , distr . ) . maul , 1962 : 37 , fig . 3 ( male ) . pietsch & van duzer , 1980 : 81 , figs . 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 15 , 16a ( fam . rev . ) . pietsch & seigel , 1980 : 381 . bertelsen & pietsch , 1983 : 81 , fig . 3 . bertelsen , 1984 : fig . 169d ( larval male ) . bertelsen , 1986 : 1376 , text figs . paxton et al . , 1989 : 287 ; bertelsen , 1991 : 493 .
diagnosis : females with anterior margin of vomer concave , more deeply so in larger specimens ; skin spinules sparse , only on caudal peduncle ; interorbital width 9 - 18 % sl ; width of pectoral base 6 - 9 % sl ; escal bulb width 2 - 5 % sl ; illicium length 23 - 37 % sl ; esca conical to barely lobate in largest specimens ; number of lower jaw teeth 46 - 142 . see also pietsch and van duzer ( 1980 ) .
description : esca with conical distal end and no crests . head deeper than long , mouth vertical , eye minute . measurements in percent sl : head length 35 ; head width 40 ; head depth 68 ; postorbital 21 ; upper jaw 59 ; lower jaw 64 ; snout 10 ; eye diameter 5 ; interorbital width 26 ; longest upper jaw tooth 8 ; longest lower jaw tooth 10 ; illicium 35 ; esca length 8 ; esca width 4 ; gill slit 15 ; pectoral - base width 14 ; pectoral - fin 21 ; predorsal 64 ; preanal 78 ; body depth at anal - fin origin 43 ; dorsal - fin base 26 ; anal - fin base 6 ; longest dorsal ray 31 ; longest anal ray 31 ; least caudal peduncle depth 18 ; peduncle length 17 . counts : d 14 ; a 4 ; p 18 ; upper jaw teeth 59 ; lower jaw teeth 57 ; vomerine teeth 4 .