CLASSIFICATION OF LOPHIUS : ANGLER FISH
Phylum :- CHORDATA ( Notochord and dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill-slits present).
Group :- CRANIATA ( Cranium with brain present ).
Subphylum :- VERTEBRATA (Vertebral column present ).
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present ).
Super class :- PISCES (Paired fins , gills and skin with scales)
Class :- OSTEICHTHYES ( Bony fishes ).
SUB-CLASS :- ACTINOPTYERGII ( Ray finned fish ).
SUPER ORDER :- TELEOISTEI ( Bony fish proper).
Order :- PEDICULATI (Dorsal fin consists of flexible rays with dilated tips).
FAMILY :- PHIIDAE
GENUS :- Lophius
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Lophius is found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It also occurs on the coasts of Europe and North America.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Lophius is a marine sea-shore fish found upto 60 fathoms. It captures fish, marine invertebrates and birds. Deep sea Anglers are found up to the depth of 1,500 to 6,000 feet. They are bad swimmers. Those found near the coasts lurk in the mud or sand or among stones or sea-weed. Some pelagic forms attach themselves to floating sea-weed.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF LOPHIUS : ANGLER FISH
- Commonly known as Angler-fish, or monk-fish, toad-fish or sea-devil.
- Body is depressed, dorso-ventrally flattened, ugly, soft and measuring about 4 feet in length. Head and anterior part of the body are very large and without scales. Body divided into head, trunk and tail.
- Mouth is wide, contaning strong cordiform or recurved teeth.
- Eyes are large and lateral in position. Nostril small. pectoral fin
- First dorsal fin greatly modified. Its first three spines are not united by fold of skin and the first spine becomes rod-like and bears a fleshy mass or bait at its tip called illicium. It is used to attract other fishes and small worms. When any curious and hungry animal comes near bait, it is ferociously attacked and eaten by Angler fish.
- Rest of the first dorsal fin and second dorsal fin supported’ by fin-rays.
- Pectoral and caudal fins present.
- Male is small in size and attached to the body of the female as ecto-parasite
SPECIAL FEATURE
Lophius is a deep-sea fish with modified dorsal fin as bait. Some of them contain luminous bulbs i.e., they are bioluminescent. The minute male attaches permanently to the female. Their bodies and blood streams growing together and such parasitism is probably an adaptation to ensure mating in the dark depths of the sea
IDENTIFICATION
This fish has wide mouth and modified bait-like dorsal fin and above features, hence it is Lophius.
REFERENCES
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lophius_piscatorius
- Book of Practical Zoology VERTEBRATE by S.S.LAL – Rastogi Publications.
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