Family Himantolophidae - Footballfishes
Order : Lophiiformes Himantolophidae
Class : Teleostei
No. in FishBase : Genera : 1 | Species : 22 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes
Environment : Fresh : No | Brackish : No | Marine : Yes
Division : Marine
Aquarium : none
First Fossil Record :      
Remark : From Nelson (1994). Distribution: Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Both sexes lack the parietals throughout life. Triradiate pelvic bone; six branchiostegal rays; no epurals. Bony plates, each bearing a median spine, on the body of females. Dorsal fin rays 5 or 6. Anal fin rays 4; pectoral fin rays 14-18; vertebrae about 19. Females differ from other ceratioids by having a blunt and short snout; papillae on snout and chin. (Ref. 07463) Circumglobal in the southern hemisphere, tropical to polar (Ref. 80772). Nine caudal fin rays (Ref. 86949) Distinguishing character: Metamorphosed females having a spiny, globose body, short corpulent illicia, ornate escae varying widely in size and construction, prominently protruding lower jaw and snout dotted with numerous wartlike papillae or in larger specimens, widely-spread, conical dermal spines around the head and body; wide toothless vomer, developed sphenotic spines. Specimens measuring less than 4 cm SL distinguished by the prominent teeth on all four gill arches. Notable in metamorphosed males, found above and posterior to the upper denticular bone, is a series of enlarged, somewhat fused dermal spines; with moderately sized lateral eyes; large olfactory organs with the nostrils laterally directed. Presence of 16 - 31 upper denticular teeth and 20 - 50 on the lower jaw, with each cluster of teeth fused at the base forming the denticular bones. A dense layer of dermal spinules cover the skin. Males are free-living, indicatively never becoming parasitic on females. Larvae short, globose with skin highly inflated. Average-sized pectoral fins not surpassing the dorsal and anal fins in length. Smallest larvae exhibiting sexual dimorphism, females having a stub-like illicial rudiment projecting from the head. Larvae length reaching 1.7 - 2.25 cm SL with metamorphosis notably delayed until lengths between 2 - 3.3 cm SL. Largest recorded female of H. groenlandicus measured 4.65 cm SL. Length range of 2.5 - 4 cm for several other recorded female individuals. Record of metamorphosed males measured 2.3 - 3.9 cm with the largest recorded being 1.7 - 2.25 cm. (Ref. 86949)
Etymology : Greek, himas or himantos = leather strap, thong or leash (referring to the thick leathery illicium) + Greek, lopho or lophio = crest or tuft (referring to the baited illicium projecting from the head) (Ref. 86949)
Reproductive guild : nonguarders
Typical activity level :
Main Ref. : Nelson, J.S. 1994
Coordinator :
Deep Fin Classification : Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Euteleosteomorpha | Neoteleostei | Eurypterygia | Ctenosquamata | Acanthomorphata | Acanthopterygii | Percomorphaceae | Eupercaria | | | Lophiiformes | Ceratioidei | | Himantolophidae

Show species images | Show valid names | Nominal species list | CAS specimen photos | References

Ref.
[ e.g. 9948 ]
Glossary
[ e.g. oophagy ]


Species/Synonymy list for the family Himantolophidae as currently in FishBase

Important recommendation:

The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.

Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.

But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.

Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.

This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).

The list ordered as follows:

Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.

Show all | Show only accepted name | Show only accepted and original names
Scientifc name Status Senior/Junior synonym Combination
acceptedseniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Himantolophus appelii (Clarke, 1878)
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Himantolophus compressus (Osório, 1909)
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Himantolophus sagamius (Tanaka, 1918)
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
acceptedseniornew
synonymseniororiginal
Himantolophus danae Regan & Trewavas, 1932
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus azurlucens Beebe & Crane, 1947
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus cornifer Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus crinitus Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus macroceras Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus macroceratoides Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus mauli Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus melanolophus Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus multifurcatus Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus nigricornis Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus paucifilosus Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus pseudalbinares Bertelsen & Krefft, 1988
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus litoceras Stewart & Pietsch, 2010
acceptedseniororiginal
Himantolophus stewarti Pietsch & Kenaley, 2011
acceptedseniororiginal
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