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Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Oneirodidae (Dreamers)
Etymology: Oneirodes: Greek, 'oneiros' = a dream or dreamlike or out of a dream (suggesting this fish is so strange and marvelous that can exist only in dreams) (Ref. 86949).
Eponymy: Dr Gerhard Krefft (1912–1993) was a German ichthyologist and herpetologist whose great uncle was Johann Ludwig Gerard Krefft (below). [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 0 - 2000 m (Ref. 10977), usually ? - 1000 m (Ref. 86949). Deep-water; 18°S - 45°S, 0°E - 180°E (Ref. 86949)
Circumglobal, southern latitudes of SE Atlantic, Indian and Western Pacific ocean; northernmost record off Port Hedland, Western Australia , at about 18°S; southernmost record on the Pacific side of the South I. of New Zealand, about 45°S.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 58502); common length : 2.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 10977); common length :7.5 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5 - 6; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 4. Characterized by having escal morphology: pair of highly branched medial escal appendages, in combination with an elongate cylindrical lateral escal appendage on each side; well-developed lateral escal appendage; esca with a pair of stout, medial appendages; more globose form, having a deeper and longer head and a longer lower jaw than O.anisacanthus; short subopercle, dorsal end rounded or tapering to a point, without indentation on posterodorsal margin; length of ventral fork of opercle 28.6-31.9% SL; ratio of lengths of dorsal and ventral forks of opercle 0.47-0.53; absence of epibranchial teeth; presence of teeth on pharyngobranchial II; upper jaw teeth 16-55; lower jaw teeth 24-50; teeth on vomer 4-8; dorsal fin rays 5-6; anal fin rays 4; pectoral fin rays 16-18; head length 38.6-64.3% SL; head depth 43.9-50.5% SL; length of premaxilla 30.7-35.5% SL; length of lower jaw 45.5-52.3% SL; illicial length 22.3-27.3% SL (Ref. 86949).
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep.
Mesopelagic species (Ref. 7300, 75154). Most specimens taken in depths less than 1000 m with bottom trawls (Ref. 86949). Maximum depth reported in Ref. 10977. No male specimens are known.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Pietsch, T.W., 1986. Oneirodidae. p. 375. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smith's sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 10977)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Internet sources
![Image of Oneirodes kreffti (Krefft\](/images/thumbnails/gif/tn_Onkre_u0.gif "Image of Oneirodes kreffti (Krefft\")
