Nelson, J.S., 1994

Lophiiformes anglerfishes

Teleostei

Percopsiformes 50 M years

Carroll, R., 1988  |  Helfman, G., B. Collette and D. Facey, 1997

early Tertiary

Marine

Fresh

Brackish

First ray of spinous dorsal, if present, on head and transformed into illicium (line) and esca (bait), a device for attracting prey to mouth; pelvic fins, if present, in front of pectorals, with one spine and four (rarely) or five soft rays; gill opening small tubelike, at or behind (rarely partly in front of) pectoral fin base; five or six branchiostegal rays; no ribs; pectoral radials 2-5, narrow and elongate; first vertebra fused to skull; swim bladder, when present, physoclistous.

Greek aktis = ray, thunderbolt, beam + Greek pterygion, diminutive of pteryx = wing, fin. Ref. 45335.

Greek, lophos, crest + Latin, forma = shape (Ref. 45335).

( n = 18 )
Antennariidae Brachionichthyidae Caulophrynidae Centrophrynidae Ceratiidae Chaunacidae Diceratiidae Gigantactinidae Himantolophidae Histiophrynidae Linophrynidae Lophichthyidae Lophiidae Melanocetidae Neoceratiidae Ogcocephalidae Oneirodidae Rhycheridae Tathicarpidae Tetrabrachiidae Thaumatichthyidae

Ref.
[ e.g. 9948 ]      

Glossary
      [ e.g. oophagy ]