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Black seadevils
Humpback anglerfish, Melanocetus johnsonii
Humpback anglerfish, Melanocetus johnsonii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Melanocetidae
Genus: Melanocetus
Günther, 1864
Species

See text. The humpback anglerfish or blackdevil, Melanocetus johnsonii, is a Deep-sea anglerfish in the family Melanocetidae, found in Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates The Actinopterygii (the plural form of Actinopterygius) comprise the class of the ray-finned fishes. Anglerfish are the members of the order Lophiiformes. They are bony fish named for their characteristic mode of Predation, wherein a fleshy Albrecht Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS (also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Gunther) October 3, 1830 – February 1 Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank.

Black seadevils are small, deep-sea lophiiform fish comprising the family Melanocetidae. Anglerfish are the members of the order Lophiiformes. They are bony fish named for their characteristic mode of Predation, wherein a fleshy Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two In Biological classification, family ( Latin There are five known species (with only two given common names), all within the genus Melanocetus. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. For Wikipedia aspects see WikipediaNaming conventions (common names, WikipediaNaming conventions, and WikipediaStyle manual. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic They are found in tropical to temperate waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean, with one species known only from the Ross Sea. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions NOAA Ross seajpg|thumb|200px|thumb|Ice in the Ross Sea Antarctica]] The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria

One of several anglerfish families, black seadevils are named for their baleful appearance and typically pitch black skin. Anglerfish are the members of the order Lophiiformes. They are bony fish named for their characteristic mode of Predation, wherein a fleshy The family name Melanocetidae may be translated from the Greek melanos meaning "black", and cetus meaning either "whale" or "sea monster". Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Whales are marine mammals which are neither Dolphins (ie members of the families Delphinidae or Platanistoidae) nor Porpoises Orcas Sea monsters are sea-dwelling mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size The humpback anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii) was featured on the August 1995 issue of Time magazine, becoming something of a flagship species of deep-sea fauna. The humpback anglerfish or blackdevil, Melanocetus johnsonii, is a Deep-sea anglerfish in the family Melanocetidae, found in Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and A flagship species is a Species chosen to represent an environmental cause such as an Ecosystem in need of conservation. Fauna is all of the Animal life of any particular region or time

Contents

Physical description

Black seadevils are characterised by a gelatinous, mostly scaleless, globose body; a large head, and generous complement of menacingly large, sharp, glassy fang-like teeth lining the jaws of a cavernous, oblique mouth. In most biological nomenclature a scale ( Greek lepid, Latin squama) is a small rigid plate that grows out of an Animal These teeth are depressible and present only in females. In some species there is a scattering of epidermal spinules on the body, and the scales (when present) are conical, hollow, and translucent. Like other anglerfish, black seadevils possess an illicium and esca; the former being a modified dorsal spine—the "fishing rod"—and the latter being the bulbous, bioluminescent "fishing lure". This page is about the genus of plants Illicium is also a term for the modified first dorsal fin ray of Angler fishes used to attract prey Anglerfish are the members of the order Lophiiformes. They are bony fish named for their characteristic mode of Predation, wherein a fleshy In biology spine or spiny may refer to Spine (botany, needle-like structures in plants Spine (zoology, needle-like structures A fishing rod or a fishing pole is a Tool used to catch fish, usually in conjunction with the Sport of Angling, can also be used in Bioluminescence' is the production and emission of Light by a living Organism as the result of a chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted In terms of Recreational fishing, a lure is an object attached to the end of the Fishing line and designed to resemble and move like an item of Fish Prey The esca is simple in black seadevils (with either a conical terminus or anterior and posterior ridges in some species) and both it and the illicium are free of denticles. Denticles are body surface structures found on some fish and insects

Humpback anglerfish, Melanocetus johnsonii
Humpback anglerfish, Melanocetus johnsonii

The bioluminescence is produced by symbiotic bacteria; these bacteria are thought to enter the esca via an external duct. The humpback anglerfish or blackdevil, Melanocetus johnsonii, is a Deep-sea anglerfish in the family Melanocetidae, found in This article is about the biological phenomenon for other uses see Symbiosis (disambiguation The term symbiosis (from the Greek The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have (In at least two species, the esca is not luminous until this duct develops, suggesting the bacteria originate from the surrounding seawater. ) The bacteria, belonging to the family Vibrionaceae, are apparently different in each anglerfish species; the bacteria have yet to be cultured in vitro. The Vibrionaceae are a family of Proteobacteria, given their own order A microbiological culture, AKA microbial culture, is a method of multiplying microbial organisms by letting them reproduce in predetermined culture media under controlled laboratory In vitro ( Latin: within the glass refers to the technique of performing a given experiment in a controlled environment outside of a living Organism

The eyes of black seadevils are small; the pupil is larger than the lens, leaving an aphakic space. The pupil is the hole that is located in the center of the iris of the eye and that controls the amount of light that enters the Eye. The lens is a transparent biconvex structure in the Eye that along with the Cornea, helps to Refract Light to be focused Common among deep-sea anglerfish is the strong sexual dimorphism in melanocetids: while females may reach a length of 18 centimetres or more, males remain under 3 centimetres. Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different Sex in the same Species. Aside from jaw teeth, males also lack lures. Pelvic fins are absent in both sexes. The Anatomy of Fish is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of Water, which is much denser than air holds a relatively small amount of dissolved All fins are rounded with slightly incised membranes; the pectoral fins are small. The Anatomy of Fish is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of Water, which is much denser than air holds a relatively small amount of dissolved The single dorsal fin is positioned far back from the head, larger than and above the retrorse anal fin. A dorsal fin is a Fin located on the backs of some Fishes Whales Dolphins and Porpoises as well as the (extinct The Anatomy of Fish is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of Water, which is much denser than air holds a relatively small amount of dissolved

Females have large, highly distensible stomachs which give the ventral region a flabby appearance. In life, black seadevils are a dark brown to black. The skin is extremely soft and easily abraded during collection or even by simple handling.

Life history

Murray's abyssal anglerfish, Melanocetus murrayi
Murray's abyssal anglerfish, Melanocetus murrayi

The Melanocetidae appear to buck the trend in deep-sea anglers, in that the males—despite not feeding and thus being little more than couriers of sperm—are free-living rather than parasitic. A spermatozoon or spermatozoan ( pl spermatozoa) from the Ancient Greek σπέρμα (seed and ζῷον (living being and more commonly known Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between Organisms of different Species. A brief attachment to the female does probably occur, however, as evidenced by a case of mistaken identity: A male humpback anglerfish was found attached to the lip of a female horned lantern fish (Centrophryne spinulosa) of an unrelated (though also non-parasitic) family of anglerfish, Centrophrynidae. Little else is known of their reproduction: They are presumed to be non-guarders, releasing buoyant eggs into the water which become part of the zooplankton. Zooplankton are the Heterotrophic (sometimes detritivorous) type of Plankton.

While adults have been trawled from as deep as 3,000 metres, larvae appear to remain in the upper 100 metres of the water column and gradually descend with maturity. A larva ( Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of Animal with indirect development, undergoing Metamorphosis (for example A water column is a conceptual column of water from surface to bottom sediments Males likely outnumber—and mature well before—females by a wide margin.

The females use their bioluminescent "fishing poles" to lure both conspecifics and prey, which include crustaceans and small fish such as lanternfish and bristlemouths; the seadevils' highly distensible stomach also allows them to swallow prey larger than themselves, which is an important adaptation to life in the lean depths. Structure of crustaceans As Arthropods crustaceans have a stiff Exoskeleton, which must be shed to allow the animal to grow ( Ecdysis or molting Lanternfishes (or myctophids, from the Greek mykter, "nose" and ophis, "serpent" are small Deep sea fish of Gonostomatidae is a family of deep-water marine fish commonly named bristlemouths, lightfishes or anglemouths. In contrast with males, females are poor swimmers and spend most of their time motionless, waiting for something to approach their lures. Predators of black seadevils are not well known, but include lancetfish. For the United States Navy Submarine, see USS Lancetfish (SS-296 Lancetfishes are large Oceanic Predatory

Species

There are five species in a single genus:

References

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