# Goosefish

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Family of fishes

Goosefish Temporal range: Early Eocene to present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Lophius americanus Lophiomus setigerus Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Clade: Percomorpha Order: Lophiiformes Suborder: Lophioidei Regan, 1912[1] Family: Lophiidae Rafinesque, 1810 Genera see text

**Goosefishes**, sometimes called **anglers** or **monkfishes**, are a [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)), the **Lophiidae**, of marine [ray-finned fishes](/source/Actinopterygii) belonging to the [order](/source/Order_(biology)) [Lophiiformes](/source/Lophiiformes), the anglerfishes. The family includes 30 recognized species. These fishes are found in all the world's oceans except for the Antarctic Ocean.

## Taxonomy

The goosefish family, Lophiidae, was first proposed as a genus in 1810 by the French [polymath](/source/Polymath) and [naturalist](/source/Naturalist) [Constantine Samuel Rafinesque](/source/Constantine_Samuel_Rafinesque).[2] The Lophiidae is the only family in the [monotypic](/source/Monotypic_taxon) [suborder](/source/Suborder) **Lophioidei**, this is one of 5 suborders of the Lophiiformes.[3] The Lophioidei is considered to be the most [basal](/source/Basal_(phylogenetics)) of the suborders in the order.[4]

## Etymology

The goosefish family, Lophiidae, takes its name from its [type genus](/source/Type_genus), *Lophius*. *Lophius* means "mane" and is presumably a reference to the first 3 spines of the first dorsal fin which are tentacle like, with 3 smaller spines behind them.[5]

## Genera

The goosefish family, Lophiidae, contains the following extant genera:[6]

- *[Lophiodes](/source/Lophiodes)* [Goode](/source/George_Brown_Goode) & [Bean](/source/Tarleton_Hoffman_Bean), 1896
- *[Lophiomus](/source/Lophiomus)* [Gill](/source/Theodore_Gill), 1883
- *[Lophius](/source/Lophius)* [Linnaeus](/source/Carl_Linnaeus), 1758
- *[Sladenia](/source/Sladenia_(fish))* [Regan](/source/Charles_Tate_Regan), 1908

### Fossil taxa

The following extinct taxa are also among those included in the family Lophiidae:[7]

- Genus †*[Caruso](/source/Caruso_(fish))* Carnevale & Pietsch, 2012[8] - †*[Caruso brachysomus](/source/Lophius_brachysomus)* ([Agassiz](/source/Louis_Agassiz), 1835) ([Early Eocene](/source/Ypresian) of Italy)

- Genus †*[Emmachaere](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emmachaere&action=edit&redlink=1)* [D. S. Jordan](/source/David_Starr_Jordan) & [Gilbert](/source/Charles_Henry_Gilbert), 1919 - †*[Emmachaere rhomalea](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emmachaere_rhomalea&action=edit&redlink=1)* (D. S. Jordan, 1921) ([Late Miocene](/source/Late_Miocene) of California, US)[9]

- Genus †*[Eosladenia](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eosladenia&action=edit&redlink=1)* Bannikov, 2004 - †*[Eosladenia caucasica](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eosladenia_caucasica&action=edit&redlink=1)* [Bannikov](/source/Alexandre_Fedorovich_Bannikov), 2004 ([Middle Eocene](/source/Middle_Eocene) of [North Caucasus](/source/North_Caucasus), Russia)

- Genus †*[Sharfia](/source/Sharfia_mirabilis)* Peitsch & Carnevale, 2011 - †*[Sharfia mirabilis](/source/Sharfia_mirabilis)* [Pietsch](/source/Theodore_Wells_Pietsch_III) & [Carnevale](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Giorgio_Carnevale&action=edit&redlink=1), 2011 (Early Eocene of Italy)[10]

## Characteristics

A goosefish perched on the sea floor

American angler (*[Lophius americanus](/source/Lophius_americanus)*) at the [New England Aquarium](/source/New_England_Aquarium)

Goosefishes in the family Lophiidae have flattened heads and bodies covered in thin skin[11] and are further characterised by the possession of [pelvic fins](/source/Pelvic_fin) with the first, spiny [dorsal fin](/source/Dorsal_fin) having its origin close to the rear of the head and this fin is supported by between one and three spines.[3] The frontmost spine, the illicium, has a flap of flesh, the esca, at its tip and is used as a lure to attract prey to within reach of the cavernous mouth.[12] There are 4 [pharyngobranchials](/source/Pharyngobranchials), the 4th being toothed, and they have a large [pseudobranch](/source/Pseudobranch). The body has no scales and the [frontal](/source/Frontal_bone) bones of the skull are fused. They have a very wide, flattened head, although *Sladenia* has a more rounded head, with well developed teeth. The lower jaw has a fringe of small flaps along its edge and these extend along the head onto the flanks. The second dorsal fin is supported by between 8 and 12 soft rays while the [anal fin](/source/Anal_fin) contains between 6 and 10 soft rays. Most taxa have 18 or 19 vertebrae but in *Lophius* this count is between 26 and 31.[3] The opening to the gills os located to the rear of the pectoral fin base.[13] The largest species in the family is the angler (*[Lophius piscatorius](/source/Lophius_piscatorius)*) which has a maximum published [standard length](/source/Standard_length) of 200 cm (79 in) while the smallest is *[Lophiodes fimbriatus](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lophiodes_fimbriatus&action=edit&redlink=1)* with a maximum published standard length of 7.5 cm (3.0 in).[14]

## Distribution

The goosefishes, family Lophiidae are found in the temperate, tropical, and subtropical Atlantic Indian and Pacific Oceans.[14]

## Habitat and biology

The goosefishes are typically found on soft substrates on the [continental margin](/source/Continental_margin), most frequently at depths greater than 200 m (660 ft), and there are species which have been found at depths greater than 1,000 m (3,300 ft). A few species, such as the American angler (*[Lophius americanus](/source/Lophius_americanus)*) are found in shallower waters, sometimes moving into bays and estuaries with high-salinity water in the winter.[15] At least in the genus *Lophius* the females release their spawn enclosed within a gelatinous mass, which has been compared to the spawn of [toads](/source/Toad) in appearance, which floats. They have pelagic eggs and larvae with [demersal](/source/Demersal) juveniles and [benthic](/source/Benthic_zone) adults.[16]

## Utilisation

Goosefishes, particularly several of the large species in the genus *Lophius*, commonly known as [monkfishes](/source/Monkfish) in northern Europe, are important commercially fished species.[17] The liver of monkfish, known as *[ankimo](/source/Ankimo)*, is considered a delicacy in Japan.[18]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Regan_1-0)** C. T. Regan (1912). ["The classification of the teleostean fishes of the order Pediculati"](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/18639034#page/289/mode/1up). *The Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology*. 8. **9**: 277–289.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-VDLEF_2-0)** Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014). ["Family-group names of recent fishes"](https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3882.1.1/10480). *Zootaxa*. **3882** (2): 1–230. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1](https://doi.org/10.11646%2Fzootaxa.3882.1.1). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [25543675](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25543675).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Nelson5_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Nelson5_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Nelson5_3-2) [Nelson, J.S.](/source/Joseph_S._Nelson); Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). *Fishes of the World* (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: [John Wiley & Sons](/source/John_Wiley_%26_Sons). pp. 508–518. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/9781119174844](https://doi.org/10.1002%2F9781119174844). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-118-34233-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-118-34233-6). [LCCN](/source/LCCN_(identifier)) [2015037522](https://lccn.loc.gov/2015037522). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [951899884](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/951899884). [OL](/source/OL_(identifier)) [25909650M](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL25909650M).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Misaki_4-0)** Masaki Miya; [Theodore W Pietsch](/source/Theodore_Wells_Pietsch_III); James W Orr; Rachel J Arnold; Takashi P Satoh; Andrew M Shedlock; Hsuan-Ching Ho; Mitsuomi Shimazaki; Mamoru Yabe; Mutsumi Nishida (2010). ["Evolutionary history of anglerfishes (Teleostei: Lophiiformes): a mitogenomic perspective"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2836326). *BMC Evolutionary Biology*. **10** (58): 58. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2010BMCEE..10...58M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010BMCEE..10...58M). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1186/1471-2148-10-58](https://doi.org/10.1186%2F1471-2148-10-58). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [2836326](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2836326). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [20178642](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20178642).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ETYFish_5-0)** Christopher Scharpf (14 November 2022). ["Order LOPHIIFORMES (part 1): Families LOPHIIDAE, ANTENNARIIDAE, TETRABRACHIIDAE, LOPHICHTHYIDAE, BRACHIONICHTHYIDAE, CHAUNACIDAE and OGCOCEPHALIDAE"](https://etyfish.org/lophiiformes1/). *The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database*. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 3 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CofF_6-0)** Fricke, Ron; [Eschmeyer, William N.](/source/William_N._Eschmeyer) & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). ["Genera in the family Lophidae"](http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatget.asp?tbl=genus&family=Lophidae). *[Catalog of Fishes](/source/Catalog_of_Fishes)*. [California Academy of Sciences](/source/California_Academy_of_Sciences). Retrieved 1 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-fossilworks_7-0)** ["Family Lophiidae Cuvier (anglerfish)"](https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=210689). *Fossilworks*. Retrieved 2 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-C&P2012_8-0)** Carnevale, Giorgio & Pietsch, Theodore (2012). "†*Caruso*, a new genus of anglerfishes from the Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy, with a comparative osteology and phylogeny of the teleost family Lophiidae". *Journal of Systematic Palaeontology*. **10**: 47–72. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/14772019.2011.565083](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F14772019.2011.565083).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** California Academy of Sciences (1890). [*Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences*](https://archive.org/details/occasionalpaper00calif/occasionalpaper00calif/). California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco : California Academy of Sciences.{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: publisher location ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_publisher_location))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Pietsch, Theodore W; Giorgio Carnevale,. "A New Genus and Species of Anglerfish (Teleostei: Lophiiformes: Lophiidae) from the Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy.""](https://web.archive.org/web/20140611091351/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-2317026691.html). [Copeia](/source/Copeia). American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. March 14, 2011. Archived from [the original](http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-2317026691.html) on June 11, 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Fariña_11-0)** A. C. Fariña; M. Azevedo; J. Landa; R. Duarte; P. Sampedro; G. Costas; M. A. Torres; and L. Cañás (2008). "*Lophius* in the world: a synthesis on the common features and life strategies". *ICES Journal of Marine Science*. **65** (7): 1272–1280. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/icesjms/fsn140](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Ficesjms%2Ffsn140).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-labnews_12-0)** ["Anglerfish"](https://www.labnews.co.uk/article/2025853/image_of_distinction_anglerfish). Laboratory News. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-STRI_13-0)** ["Family: LOPHIIDAE, Anglerfishes, Goosefish, Goosefishes"](https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/taxon/759#:~:text=The%20lophiid%20anglerfishes%2C%20which%20reach,1st%20of%202%2D3%20isolated). *Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system*. [Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute](/source/Smithsonian_Tropical_Research_Institute). Retrieved 3 March 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Fishbase_14-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Fishbase_14-1) [Froese, Rainer](/source/Rainer_Froese); [Pauly, Daniel](/source/Daniel_Pauly) (eds.). ["Family Lophiidae"](https://www.fishbase.org/summary/FamilySummary.php?family=Lophiidae). *[FishBase](/source/FishBase)*. February 2024 version.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FAO_15-0)** John H. Caruso (2002). "Order LOPHIIFORMES LOPHIIDAE Anglerfishes (goosefishes, monkfishes)". In [Kent E. Carpenter](/source/Kent_E._Carpenter) (ed.). [*Volume 2: Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae to Grammatidae)*](https://www.fao.org/3/y4161e/y4161e00.htm). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Atlantic. FAO, Rome. pp. 1043–1070. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [92-5-104826-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/92-5-104826-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Caramaschi_16-0)** Érica Pellegrini Caramaschi; Marcelo Vianna (2009). ["Biology and Ecology of Anglerfishes of the genus *Lophius* (Lophiidae, Lophiiformes) with emphasis in *Lophius gastrophysus* Miranda-Rineiro, 1915: Current Status"](https://revistas.ufrj.br/index.php/oa/article/view/5691). *Oecologia Brasiliensis - Artigos de revisão - Edição submissões espontâneas* (in Portuguese). **11** (4).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** John H. Caruso (2005). ["Lophiidae"](http://tolweb.org/Lophiidae/21990). Tree of Life web project. Retrieved 4 April 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ankimo_18-0)** Nami (9 December 2018). ["Ankimo あん肝"](https://www.justonecookbook.com/ankimo/). justonecookbook. Retrieved 3 March 2024.

Taxon identifiers Lophiidae Wikidata: Q861011 Wikispecies: Lophiidae ADW: Lophiidae AFD: Lophiidae BOLD: 814 CoL: KVFV7 EoL: 5455 EPPO: 1LPHIF GBIF: 3876 iNaturalist: 63737 IRMNG: 115167 ITIS: 164497 NBN: NBNSYS0000160341 NCBI: 8071 Open Tree of Life: 583638 Paleobiology Database: 210689 Plazi: AC642D14-3A50-FFD2-34F2-FD4EDEAA28F7 WoRMS: 125493

Authority control databases National United States France BnF data Japan Israel Other Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Goosefish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goosefish) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goosefish?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.