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Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Oneirodidae (Dreamers)
Etymology: Chaenophryne: Greek, 'chaeno' or 'chaino' = to gape + Greek, 'phryne' = toad (alluring to a "gaping toad") (Ref. 86949).
More on author: Beebe.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 350 - 1750 m (Ref. 58302). Deep-water; 44°N - 42°S, 180°W - 180°E
Tropical and subtropical parts of all oceans. Eastern Atlantic: A single female was recorded north of Madeira. Eastern Pacific: Oregon, USA and British Columbia, Canada (Ref. 6885). Western Pacific: Japan (Ref. 559) and Australia (Ref. 7300).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 12.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 75756); common length : 8.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6885)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6 - 8; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 5 - 6. Caudal large; pectorals small, pediculate, directed upward (Ref. 6885). Black except for pale on esca at end of illicium (Ref. 6885). Distinguishing characteristics: esca with single conical to elongate, internally pigmented anterior appendage, less than one-seventh to nearly one-third length of escal bulb; absence of medial escal appendages; posterior escal appendages with swollen basal portion and compressed distal crest, posterior filament or filaments and pair of anterior lobes each with numerous filaments; anterolateral escal appendages and basal series of filaments absent; have the highest ratio between the number of upper and lower jaw teeth of any species, 1.08-1.45; total number of teeth in upper jaw 35-47, lower jaw with 31-38 teeth; vomerine teeth 4-8; slightly shorter illicium compared to C.ramifera and slightly longer than that of C.melanorhabdus, length 24-36.4% SL (Ref. 86949).
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep.
Meso- (Ref. 10524) and bathypelagic (Ref. 58302). Males dwarfed, non-parasitic (Ref. 10524). Specimen examined was 9.7 cm SL from Auckland Institute and Museum (AIM 6609) (Ref. 58502).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Bertelsen, E., 1990. Oneirodidae. p. 498-507. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post, and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1. (Ref. 10524)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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