Prickly footballfish
📖 Overview
Prickly footballfish (Himantolophus appelii), first described by Clarke, 1878 is a large fish in the family Himantolophidae (order Lophiiformes). Adults typically reach 40.00 cm in maximum length. It inhabits marine coastal and open-ocean environments. Recorded depth range: 338 to 1360 metres. It occurs in Deep-water waters. Diet is predominantly piscivorous, targeting other fish and larger prey. On the IUCN Red List, it is classified as Least Concern.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal soft rays (total): 5; Anal soft rays: 4. This species is distinguished in having the illicium with a bulbous distal light organ, originating from behind the tip of the snout; external second cephalic ray absent; esca without bony denticles; posterior appendage present, bifurcated at the base and each primary branch had a side branch near the base; distal appendage absent . Metamorphosed females characterized further by having a series of 2-7 filaments emerging from the anterior margin of the 2 primary branches of paired posterior escal appendage; posterolateral appendages simple or bifurcated at tip, longest is less than 10% SL in specimens less than 10 cm; presence of small dermal spinules on stem of illicium, escal bulb and escal appendages in specimens greater than 3 cm; low and indistinct papillae of snout and chin; skin devoid of white patches; caudal fin rays white or faintly pigmented in specimens less than 10 cm. Adult males with 11-13 olfactory lamellae; diameter of posterior nostril 5.7-6.7% SL, length of snout 17-18% SL; presence of about 20-25 upper denticular teeth and 22-32 lower denticular teeth .: short and / or deep.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Prickly footballfish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 338 - 1360 m . Deep-water
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aegaeonichthys appelii | Clarke | 1878 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 4 records indexed .
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