Sea toad
Coffinfish are a family, Chaunacidae, of deep-sea anglerfishes.[1]
They are bottom-dwelling fishes found on the continental slopes of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, at depths of up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).[2]
They have large globose bodies and a short compressed tail, and are covered with small spiny scales. The largest are about 30 centimetres (12 in) in length. Their first dorsal fin ray is modified into a short bioluminescent lure which dangles forward over the mouth, which is turned upwards so as to be nearly vertical. The sensory canals of the lateral lines are especially conspicuous.[3]
Species
There are fifteen species in two genera:
- Genus Chaunacops Garman, 1899.
- Chaunacops coloratus (Garman, 1899).
- Chaunacops melanostomus (Caruso, 1989).
- Chaunacops roseus (Barbour, 1941).
- Genus Chaunax Lowe, 1846.
- Chaunax abei Le Danois, 1978.
- Chaunax breviradius Le Danois, 1978.
- Coffinfish, Chaunax endeavouri Whitley, 1929.
- Chaunax fimbriatus Hilgendorf, 1879.
- Chaunax flammeus Le Danois, 1979.
- Chaunax latipunctatus Le Danois, 1984.
- Chaunax penicillatus McCulloch, 1915.
- Pink frogmouth, Chaunax pictus Lowe, 1846.
- Redeye gaper, Chaunax stigmaeus Fowler, 1946.
- Chaunax suttkusi Caruso, 1989.
- Chaunax tosaensis Okamura & Oryuu, 1984.
- Chaunax umbrinus Gilbert, 1905.
References
- ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Chaunacidae" in FishBase. February 2006 version.
- ^ Bertelsen, E. & Pietsch, T.W. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 140. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ^ John H. Caruso (2005). "Chaunacidae". Tree of Life web project. http://tolweb.org/Chaunacidae. Retrieved 3 April 2006.