Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
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); longicauda: From the Latin longus, for long, and cauda for tail, in reference to the deeply cleft caudal fin and elongate caudal fin rays (Ref. 41361).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 500 - 1200 m (Ref. 86949). Deep-water
Western Central Atlantic. High Seas only.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.4 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. Metamorphosed females differ from all other Gigantactis congeners in having length of illicium 330% SL; escal bulb nearly spherical, with a short, truncated distal prolongation, pigmented distally, and bearing two pairs of short, spatulate appendages; stem of illicium without filaments (Ref. 41361); short dentary teeth (longest tooth 1.7% SL), arranged posteriorly in two longitudinal series; longest caudal fin rays 50% SL (Ref. 86949).
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep.
Known only from the holotype collected in an open midwater trawl (Ref. 41361). Maximum length based on an immature female (Ref. 41361).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Bertelsen, E. and T.W. Pietsch, 2002. New species of deep-sea anglerfish of the genus Gigantactis (Lophiiformes: Gigantactinidae) from the western North Atlantic Ocean. Copeia 2002(4):958-961. (Ref. 41361)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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