Photocorynus spiniceps
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Lophiiformes (Anglerfish)
Linophrynidae (Leftvents Seadevils)
Photocorynus
Photocorynus spiniceps
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: short and / or deep. Metamorphosed females distinguished by the following characteristics: have spine on epiotic, pair of spines on postemporal and 5-6 spines on preopercle; frontals meet on midline, each with well-developed anterodorsal spine; moderately strong maxillae, jaws with numerous short teeth arranged in several series; absence of vomerine teeth; presence of first pharyngobranchial; ceratohyal lacking anterodorsal process; posterior margin of hypural plate is entire; extremely short ninth caudal fin ray, length of illicium less than 10%SL; esca nearly sessile on snout, without appendages; absence of hyoid barbell; second and third pectoral radials are subequal; darkly pigmented skin. Free-living juvenile males characterized by: lacking cranial and preopercular spines; preopercle not strongly curved; epiotic region of skull highly elevated; 8-9 teeth on each side of upper and lower jaws, all shorter than the denticular teeth; small denticular bones, placed slightly behind tip of jaws; slender denticular teeth, 3 on upper denticular and 3-4 on lower denticular; slightly tubular eyes, diameter 8-9% SL; moderately enlarged and inflated olfactory organs, nearly as large as eyes; 3 olfactory lamellae; skin unpigmented. Adult males characterized by: having skin that is very faintly pigmented; olfactory organs and to a lesser extent the eyes are degenerated; jaw teeth lost except in the lower jaw of one known specimen (Ref. 86949).
Distribution
Western Atlantic: in tropical and subtropical waters. Also known from both sides of the Pacific Ocean.
Habitat Associations
Marine. bathypelagic. depth range 990-1420 m.
Biology
Also mesopelagic. Males dwarfed, becoming parasitic on females (Ref. 10762).
Max length: 1.0 cm TL.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-05-09.
References
Bertelsen, E. (1990) Linophrynidae. p. 516-519. In J. C. Quero, J. C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
Pietsch, T.W. (2009) Oceanic anglerfishes. Extraordinary diversity in the deep sea. Oceanic Anglerfishes, i-xii; 1-557pp.
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