Blacklure Anglerfish, Lophiodes miacanthus (Gilbert 1905)

Illustration of holotype of Lophiodes miacanthus, USNM 51627. Source: Fig. 273, in Gilbert (1905) Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission 23(2): 577-713/ Biodiversity Heritage Library. License: CC by Attribution

Summary:

A dark brown goosefish with many irregular black patches, the dorsal surface of the pectoral fin darker with a pale margin, the illicium and second and third dorsal-fin spines deep brown in colour, esca transparent. The underside is brownish-grey with a black peritoneum.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2023, Lophiodes miacanthus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 23 Sep 2023, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/5701

Blacklure Anglerfish, Lophiodes miacanthus (Gilbert 1905)

More Info

Distribution	Muirfield Seamount, Cocos (Keeling) Islands territory. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the East-Indo-west-central Pacific: North Sumatra, Indonesia, to northeastern Taiwan, the Kyushu-Palau Ridge south of Japan, the Southern Emperor Seamounts, the Hawaiian Ridge and Islands, the Wallis and Futuna Islands and New Caledonia.
Features	Dorsal ﬁn 8; Anal fin 6; Pectoral fin 18-21; Caudal ﬁn 9. Body depressed; tail muscular, laterally depressed; head broad, rounded in dorsal view. Dorsal surfaces of frontal and premaxilla smooth without bumps; posterior frontal ridge with 3 spines, all blunt; opercle with short blunt spine; preopercle with long sharp spine; subopercle with two spines, posterior spine slightly larger than anterior spine; cleithral spine blunt. Dorsal surfaces of frontal and premaxilla smooth, without bumps. Posterior frontal ridge with 3 spines; posterior-most spine sharp, slightly curved outwardly, and slightly larger than the other two spines. Inner frontal spine present. Palatine with two sharp spines, posterior spine about twice size of anterior one. Two teeth on each lateral corner of vomer; irregular row of 8 or 9 teeth on palatine; all teeth ﬁxed. Teeth on maxilla with outer row on margin, those on mesial side slightly longer and directed forward; one short irregular inner row, slightly longer than that of outer row; innermost tooth ﬁxed, others depressible. Lower jaw with three rows of straight depressible teeth, those in innermost row longest. Illicium reaching slightly beyond base of sphenotic spines, but not reaching base of third dorsal-ﬁn spine; esca a small narrow bulb, with terminal cirrus; second dorsal-ﬁn spine reaching base of humeral spines; third dorsal-ﬁn spine reaching base of ﬁfth soft dorsal-ﬁn ray; fifth and sixth dorsal-ﬁn spines exposed distally, not reaching origin of soft dorsal ﬁn. Anal ﬁn extended well beyond the caudal ﬁn base when fully laid back.
Etymology	The specific name miacanthus is from the Greek meion (= less, smaller, fewer) and akantha (= thorn, prickle, spine), in reference to the fewer and smaller spines of the post-cephalic portion of the spinous dorsal fin.
Species Citation	Lophiomus miacanthus Gilbert 1905, Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission 23(2): 69, Fig. 273. Type locality: Off northwestern coast of Oahu Island, Hawaiian Islands, Albatross station 4117, depth 253-282 fathoms.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2023
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Blacklure Anglerfish, Lophiodes miacanthus (Gilbert 1905)

References

Caruso, J.H. 1981. The systematics and distribution of the lophiid anglerfishes: I. A revision of the genus Lophiodes with the description of two new species. Copeia 1981(3): 522-549 https://doi.org/10.2307/1444556

Gilbert, C.H. 1905. II. The deep-sea fishes of the Hawaiian Islands. In: The aquatic resources of the Hawaiian Islands. Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission 23(2): 577-713, Pls. 66-101. See ref at BHL

Ho, H.-C., Kawai, T., Wudianto & Satria, F. 2016. Records of anglerfishes (Actinopterygii: Lophiiformes: Lophiidae) from Indonesia. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 46(2): 77-85. https://doi.org/10.3750/AIP2016.46.2.03

Ho, H.-C. & Shao, K.-T. 2007. Taxonomic review of Lophiidae (Pisces: Lophiiformes) in Taiwan. Journal of the National Taiwan Museum 60(1): 19-32.

Ho, H.-C. & Shao, K.-T. 2008. A new species of anglerfish (Lophiidae: Lophiodes) from the western Pacific. Ichthyological Research 55: 367-373 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-008-0057-y

Ho, H.-C., Seret, B. & Shao, K.-T. 2011. Records of anglerfishes (Lophiiformes: Lophiidae) from the western South Pacific Ocean, with descriptions of two new species. Journal of Fish Biology 79(7): 1722-1745. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.03106.x

Ho, H. 2020. Lophiodes miacanthus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T135438435A136910133. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T135438435A136910133.en. Accessed on 16 November 2022.