Goosefish
Encyclopedia
Monkfish are a family, Lophiidae, of anglerfish
es. They are found in the Arctic
, Atlantic, Indian
and Pacific Ocean
s where they live on sandy and muddy bottoms of the continental shelf and continental slope, at depths in excess of 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft).
Like most other anglerfishes, they have a very large head with a large mouth that bears long, sharp, recurved teeth. Also like other anglerfishes, the first spine of the spinous dorsal fin has been modified as an angling apparatus (illicium) that bears a bulb-like or fleshy lure (esca). The angling apparatus is located at the tip of the snout just above the mouth and is used to attract prey. Lophiid anglerfishes also have two or three other dorsal fin spines located more posteriorly on the head, and a separate spinous dorsal fin with one to three spines located more posteriorly on the body just in front of the soft dorsal fin. In the more primitive anglerfish genera (Sladenia and Lophiodes) the gill opening extends partially in front of the elongated pectoral fin base. In the derived lophiid genera (Lophiomus and Lophius), and all other anglerfishes, the gill opening does not extend in front of the pectoral fin base. The largest monkfish may exceed 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in length.
Several of the large species in the genus Lophius
, commonly known as monkfish
es in northern Europe, are important commercially fished species. The liver of monkfish, known as ankimo
, is considered a delicacy in Japan.
There are 25 species in four genera:
Anglerfish
Anglerfishes are members of the teleost order Lophiiformes . They are bony fishes named for their characteristic mode of predation, wherein a fleshy growth from the fish's head acts as a lure; this is considered analogous to angling.Some anglerfishes are pelagic , while others are benthic...
es. They are found in the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, Atlantic, Indian
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
s where they live on sandy and muddy bottoms of the continental shelf and continental slope, at depths in excess of 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft).
Like most other anglerfishes, they have a very large head with a large mouth that bears long, sharp, recurved teeth. Also like other anglerfishes, the first spine of the spinous dorsal fin has been modified as an angling apparatus (illicium) that bears a bulb-like or fleshy lure (esca). The angling apparatus is located at the tip of the snout just above the mouth and is used to attract prey. Lophiid anglerfishes also have two or three other dorsal fin spines located more posteriorly on the head, and a separate spinous dorsal fin with one to three spines located more posteriorly on the body just in front of the soft dorsal fin. In the more primitive anglerfish genera (Sladenia and Lophiodes) the gill opening extends partially in front of the elongated pectoral fin base. In the derived lophiid genera (Lophiomus and Lophius), and all other anglerfishes, the gill opening does not extend in front of the pectoral fin base. The largest monkfish may exceed 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in length.
Several of the large species in the genus Lophius
Lophius
Members of the genus Lophius, also sometimes called monkfish, goosefish, fishing-frogs, frog-fish, and sea-devils, are well known off the coasts of Europe generally, the grotesque shape of its body and its singular habits having attracted the attention of naturalists of all ages...
, commonly known as monkfish
Monkfish
Monkfish is the English name of a number of types of fish in the northwest Atlantic, most notably the species of the anglerfish genus Lophius and the angelshark genus Squatina...
es in northern Europe, are important commercially fished species. The liver of monkfish, known as ankimo
Ankimo
is a Japanese dish made with monkfish liver.The liver is first rubbed with salt, then rinsed with sake. Then its veins are picked out and the liver is rolled into a cylinder and steamed. Ankimo is often served with chili-tinted grated daikon radish, thinly sliced green onions and ponzu sauce.Ankimo...
, is considered a delicacy in Japan.
Species
- Genus Lophiodes
- Lophiodes abdituspinus Ni, Wu & Li, 1990.
- Lophiodes beroe Caruso, 1981.
- Lophiodes bruchius Caruso, 1981.
- Spottedtail angler, Lophiodes caulinaris (Garman, 1899).
- Lophiodes fimbriatus Saruwatari & Mochizuki, 1985.
- Lophiodes gracilimanus (AlcockAlfred William AlcockAlfred William Alcock was a British physician naturalist and carcinologist.Alcock was the son of a sea-captain, John Alcock in Bombay, India who retired to live in Blackheath...
, 1899). - Lophiodes infrabrunneus Smith & Radcliffe, 1912.
- Natal angler, Lophiodes insidiator (Regan, 1921).
- Longspine African angler, Lophiodes kempi (Norman, 1935).
- Lophiodes miacanthus (Gilbert, 1905).
- Lophiodes monodi (Le Danois, 1971).
- Smooth angler, Lophiodes mutilus (AlcockAlfred William AlcockAlfred William Alcock was a British physician naturalist and carcinologist.Alcock was the son of a sea-captain, John Alcock in Bombay, India who retired to live in Blackheath...
, 1894). - Monkfish, Lophiodes naresi (Günther, 1880).
- Reticulated monkfish, Lophiodes reticulatus Caruso & Suttkus, 1979.
- Threadfin angler, Lophiodes spilurus (Garman, 1899).
- Genus Lophiomus
- Blackmouth angler, Lophiomus setigerus (Vahl, 1797).
- Genus LophiusLophiusMembers of the genus Lophius, also sometimes called monkfish, goosefish, fishing-frogs, frog-fish, and sea-devils, are well known off the coasts of Europe generally, the grotesque shape of its body and its singular habits having attracted the attention of naturalists of all ages...
- American anglerAmerican AnglerAmerican Angler is a magazine dedicated to the subject of fly fishing, with an emphasis on cold water fisheries, published six times a year. It bills itself as a "how to, where to" magazine focusing on technical fly-fishing informational articles and explorations of new fishing locations...
, Lophius americanusLophius americanusLophius americanus is a monkfish in the family Lophiidae, also called goosefish, American anglerfish, all-mouth or fishing frog. It is native to the eastern coast of North America...
ValenciennesAchille ValenciennesAchille Valenciennes was a French zoologist.Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. Valenciennes' study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology...
, 1837. - Black-bellied angler, Lophius budegassa SpinolaMaximilian Spinola-Background:Spinola was born in Pézenas, Hérault, France. The family of Spinola was of very long standing and had great wealth and power in Genoa. Maximilian Spinola was a descendant of the famous Spanish General Ambrogio Spinola, marqués de los Balbases and much of his wealth derived from land...
, 1807. - Blackfin monkfish, Lophius gastrophysus Miranda-Ribeiro, 1915.
- Lophius litulon (JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
, 1902). - Angler, Lophius piscatoriusLophius piscatoriusThe angler, also sometimes called fishing-frog, frog-fish or sea-devil, Lophius piscatorius, is a monkfish in the family Lophiidae. It is found in coastal waters of the northeast Atlantic, from the Barents Sea to the Strait of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea...
LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, 1758. - Shortspine African angler, Lophius vaillanti Regan, 1903.
- Cape monk, Lophius vomerinus ValenciennesAchille ValenciennesAchille Valenciennes was a French zoologist.Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. Valenciennes' study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology...
, 1837.
- American angler
- Genus Sladenia
- Sladenia gardineri Regan, 1908.
- Sladenia remiger Smith & Radcliffe, 1912 Celebes monkfish.
- Sladenia shaefersiSladenia shaefersiSladenia shaefersi is a species of fish in the Lophiidae family. It also commonly goes by the name of Shaefer's anglerfish. It was first discovered off the coast of Colombia in 1976.-References:*John H. Caruso and Harvey R...
Caruso & Bullis, 1976.