Francais | English | Espanõl

Ogcocephalidae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
iBatfishes
Image:Malthopsis lutea.jpg
Longnose seabat, Malthopsis lutea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Ogcocephalidae
Genera

Coelophrys
Dibranchus
Halicmetus
Halieutaea
Halieutichthys
Halieutopsis
Malthopsis
Ogcocephalus
Solocisquama
Zalieutes
See text for species.

Batfishes are a family, Ogcocephalidae, of anglerfishes. They are found in deep, lightless waters of the Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific Oceans.<ref>"Ogcocephalidae". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. February 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.</ref>

They are laterally compressed fishes similar in appearance to rays, with a large circular, triangular, or box-shaped (in Coelophrys) head and a small tail. The illicium (a modified dorsal fin ray on the front of the head, that supports the esca, a bulbous lure) can be retracted into an illicial cavity above the mouth. The esca is not luminous as in most other groups of anglerfishes, but secretes a fluid that is hypothesized to act as a chemical lure, attracting prey.<ref>Theodore W. Pietsch (2005). Ogcocephalidae. Tree of Life web project. Retrieved on 4 April, 2006.</ref>

They are bottom-dwelling fishes, mostly found on the continental slope at depths up to 4,000 m. Some New World genera live in coastal waters and river estuaries.

[edit] Species

There are 65 species in ten genera:

[edit] References

<references/>de:Seefledermäuse lt:Šikšnosparninės pl:Ogackowate pt:Ogcocephalidae

Personal tools