Hierarchy of Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Melanocetidae
Genus: Melanocetus
Species: johnsonii
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Bionomial Name:
Melanocetus johnsonii Gunther, 1864
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Defense Mechanism:
The anglerfish uses its illuminated lure as it hunts for prey. This specialized spine is highly manuverable and can be moved in any direction. The anglerfish is known to remain completely motionless, waving its lure back and forth like a fishing pole. When the prey fish gets close enough, the angler snaps it up with its powerful jaws and swallows it whole. The sharp teeth of the angler are angled inwards, which helps to prevent the prey from escaping. The anglerfish can extend both its jaw and stomach to an incredible size, allowing it to swallow prey twice the size of its entire body. Since food can be scarce in the deep sea, this special adaptation allows it to stock up on food during times of plenty.
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Distribution:
Of the five known species, Melanocetus johnsonii and M. murrayi, the best known species of the genus have broad distributions. The former known from all three major oceans of the word and the latter from the Atlantic and Pacific. M. rossi is represented by a single specimen collected in the Ross Sea, Antarctica; M. polyactis and M. niger, known from 15 and six specimens; respectively, are both restricted to the eastern tropical Pacific; and M. eustales, is known from a single specimen collected in the eastern Pacific off Mazatlan, Mexico.
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References:
Balushkin, A.V., and V. V. Fedorov. 1981. On finding the deepwater anglerfishes (Melanocetus rossi sp. n. and Oneirodes notius) in the Ross Sea (Antarctica). Biologiya Morya, 2(2): 79-82. [In Russian, with English abstract.]
