Family CERATIIDAE

Ceratiidae

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Introduction

The family Ceratiidae, commonly known as sea devils or deepsea anglerfishes, occur at depths from 120 to 2000 m. Two genera and four species are recognised worldwide and four species in two genera have been recorded from Australian waters. The family was revised by Bertelsen (1951) and Pietsch (1986), and early Australian records were reviewed by Bertelsen & Pietsch (1983). Pietsch (2009) summarised knowledge of the family.

Recorded prey items of ceratiids include fishes and crustaceans. Females are characterised by having two or three caruncles before the soft dorsal fin and an oblique or vertical mouth cleft. Males are parasitic on the females and attain a maximum length of 6 cm. Female ceratiids are the largest of the deepsea anglerfishes and may reach 1.2 m.

General References

Bertelsen, E. 1951. The ceratioid fishes ontogeny, taxonomy, distribution and biology. Dana Reports 39: 1-276 figs 1-141 1 pl.

Bertelsen, E. & Pietsch, T.W. 1983. The ceratioid anglerfishes of Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 35(2): 77-99 figs 1-18

Pietsch, T.W. 1986. Systematics and distribution of bathypelagic anglerfishes of the family Ceratiidae (order: Lophiiformes). Copeia 1986(2): 479-493

Pietsch, T.W. 2009. Oceanic Anglerfishes. Extraordinary Diversity in the Deep Sea. Berkeley and Los Angeles : University of California Press pp. i-xii + 1-557.

Common Name References

Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. [303] (Seadevils)

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. (Deepsea Anglerfishes, Sea Devils)

Pietsch, T.W. 1999. Families Caulophrynidae, Neoceratiidae, Melanocetidae, Himantolophidae, Diceratiidae, Oneirodidae, Thaumatichthyidae, Centrophrynidae, Ceratiidae, Gigantactinidae, Linophrynidae. pp. 2026-2037 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068. [2035] (FAO) (Seadevils)

Pollard, J. (ed.) 1980. G.P. Whitley's Handbook of Australian Fishes. North Sydney : Jack Pollard Publishing Pty Ltd 629 pp. [310] (Oceanic Anglerfishes)

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