Ceratias tentaculatus (Norman, 1930)
Southern seadevil
photo by Colombo, G.L.A.

Family:  Ceratiidae (Warty Seadevils)
Max. size:  88 cm TL (female)
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 100 - 2900 m
Distribution:  Southern Ocean. Also known from Mozambique and South Africa.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 4-4; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 4-4. Distinguishing characteristics of metamorphosed female: pair of distal esca appendages; illicium length 19.1 to 28.2% SL; presence of 2-6 vomerine teeth in large specimens; darkly pigmented proximal one-half to two-thirds of escal bulb, oval shaped distal portion, proximal portion tapering into stem of illicium; 2 slender escal appendages arising anterior to escal pore, each appendage nearly always bifurcate, trifurcate or multibranched; escal pore at apex of bulb, raised on pigmented papilla in specimens 75 mm and larger (Ref. 86949).
Biology:  Majority of collected materials taken by trawls that reaches maximum depth of greater than 650m (Ref. 86949).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 October 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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