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Goosefish
Lophiodes sp
A goosefish trawled off Sydney, New South Wales. Note the leg-like pectoral fins. View larger image.
The goosefishes (or monkfishes) generally live on the bottom in deep marine waters. The family Lophiidae contains at least 25 species, with five known from Australia.
The goosefishes are recognised by the huge head and mouth with numerous fine, pointed teeth which are hinged at the base. Goosefishes have a modified first dorsal fin spine (the illicium, visible as the long white line immediately behind the upper lip in the top image) ending in a lure (the esca, is not visible in the images) which is used to attract smaller fishes on which they feed. The leg-like pectoral fins stick out laterally from the body.
The fish in the images was trawled at a depth of 230m off Sydney. It was photographed by N. Ruello at the Sydney Fish Markets in April 1999. Only the head is registered in the Australian Museum Fish Collection (AMS I.39786-001). The rest of the fish was apparently very good eating.
Further reading
- Caruso, J.H. 1985. The Systematics and Distribution of the Lophiid Anglerfishes: III. Intergeneric relationships. Copeia (4): 870-875.
- Caruso, J.H. 1981. The Systematics and Distribution of the Lophiid Anglerfishes: I. A revision of the genus Lophiodes with description of the description of two new species. Copeia (3):522-549.
- Gomon, M.F. in Gomon, M.F, C.J.M. Glover & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen & J.E. Hanley. 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol.7 Pisces Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Survey. pp. i-xii, 1-665.
