Teleostei (teleosts) >
Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Gigantactinidae (Whipnose anglers)
Etymology: Gigantactis: Greek, 'gigas' or 'gigantos' = gigantic + Greek, 'aktis' = ray (referring to the unusually long first dorsal-fin spine that functions as a lure in this genus) (Ref. 86949).
Eponymy: IOS stands for the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, England, which supplied the type specimen of the hagfish. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 1005 - 1360 m (Ref. 86949). Deep-water
Eastern Atlantic.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.7 cm SL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 5. Esca with a dense cluster of 14-16 short, lanceolate appendages, each with numerous tiny spherical inclusions, emerging from a distal patch of pigment (Ref. 41361); length of illicium 247-256% SL; escal bulb without distal prolongation; escal papillae absent; proximal escal papillae absent; short dentary teeth (longest 1.1-1.4% SL), arranged posteriorly in two longitudinal series; length of caudal fin rays less than 37% SL; weakly developed skin coverage of proximal part of caudal fin; caudal fin rays free nearly to base (Ref. 86949).
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep.
Known from 3 specimens, the biggest of which is an adolescent female measuring 5.7 cm SL (Ref. 41361).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Bertelsen, E., 1990. Gigantactinidae. p. 513-515. 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. 10761)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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