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Gigantactis paxtoni Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg, 1981 Paxton's whipnose |
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photo by
Graham, K. |
| Family: | Gigantactinidae (Whipnose anglers) | |||
| Max. size: | 29.5 cm SL (male/unsexed) | |||
| Environment: | bathypelagic; marine; depth range 540 - 1500 m | |||
| Distribution: | Southwest Pacific. | |||
| Diagnosis: | Dorsal soft rays (total): 6-7; Anal soft rays: 5-6. Metamorphosed females distinguished by the following characteristics: have filaments on the dorsal surface of head just behind the base of the illicium; length of illicium 168-198% SL; presence of short filaments on base of illicium; escal bulb gradually tapering into a conical, spinulose darkly pigmented distal prolongation, length 12-28% SL; escal bulb and distal prolongation bearing low unpigmented papillae; short filaments present on distal prolongation, absent on base of escal bulb; absence of posterior pair of close set illicial appendage; long dentary teeth (longest tooth 3.4-7.1% SL), three or four longitudinal series in posterior part of jaw; short rays of caudal fin (27.5-35% SL) (Ref. 86949). | |||
| Biology: | Bathy- and mesopelagic species (Ref. 75154). | |||
| IUCN Red List Status: | Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 11 October 2018 Ref. (130435) | |||
| Threat to humans: | harmless | |||