Teleostei (teleosts) >
Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Oneirodidae (Dreamers)
Etymology: Leptacanthichthys: Greek, 'leptos' = thin or delicate + Greek, 'akantha' = thorn or spine + Greek, 'ichthys' = fish; a "thin-spined fish"; referring to the unusually thin, delicate illicium..
More on author: Regan.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 0 - 2000 m (Ref. 5951), usually 1000 - ? m (Ref. 12204). Deep-water
North Atlantic: including Canada. Also Pacific Ocean.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 0.8 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12204); 6.9 cm SL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 4 - 6; Anal soft rays: 5 - 6. Unique among dreamers in having a well-developed mandibular spine and a very elongate and narrow pectoral fin lobe (Ref. 12204). Dark in color, with the esca unpigmented in patches (Ref.12204). Metamorphosed females distinguished by the following characteristics: extremely well developed articular spine, considerably longer than quadrate spine; wide ethmoid cartilage and vomer, wider than distance between anterolateral tips of lateral ethmoids and frontals; presence of vomerine teeth; depressed ethmoid region, nasal foramina narrow and oval in shape; long frontals, anterior in posterior, overhanging and extending past the anterior limits of ethmoid cartilage and vomer; nearly linear dorsal margins of frontals; ; ventromedial extensions of frontals approach each other on midline, making contact with parasphenoid; frontals separated from prootics; presence of pterosphenoid; anterior end of illicial trough wider and shallower than posterior end; extremely well developed sphenotic spines; symphysial cartilage of upper jaw longer than wide; lower jaw with small symphysial spine; hyomandibula with double head; ; deeply notched posterior margin of opercle; short and broad subopercle, dorsal end rounded to bluntly pointed, ventral end rounded; absence of first pharyngobranchial; well developed second pharyngobranchial; second hypobranchial directly articulates with second basibranchial; caudal fin rays without internal pigmentation; illicium longer than length of esca bulb; pterygoiphore of illicium cylindrical throughout its length, emerging on snout from between frontal bones, anterior end slightly exposed, posterior end concealed beneath skin; well developed first ray of dorsal fin; dorsal fin rays 4-6; anal fin rays 5; long and narrow pectoral fin lobe, longer than longest rays of pectoral fin; pectoral fin rays 18-22; coracoid lacking posteroventral process; simple pelvic bones, expanded distally; skin is naked, without dermal spinules; darkly pigmented skin of caudal peduncle extends well past base of caudal fin (Ref. 86949). Metamorphosed males: long and narrow pectoral fin lobe, longer than longest pectoral fin rays, articulating along the dorsal margin; short and broad subopercle, dorsal end rounded; lower denticular teeth 6; naked skin, without dermal spinules (Ref. 86949).
Deep-sea species (Ref. 12204). Males parasitic on the females (Ref. 12204).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Coad, B.W., 1995. Encyclopedia of Canadian fishes. Canadian Museum of Nature and Canadian Sportfishing Productions Inc. Singapore. (Ref. 12204)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 0.2 - 5.4, mean 3.6 °C (based on 1622 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01995 (0.00906 - 0.04395), b=3.01 (2.83 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.6 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
