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Humpback Blackdevil
Melanocetus johnsonii Günther, 1864

A Humpback Blackdevil trawled during the NORFANZ expedition at a depth between the surface and 1200 m south-west of Norfolk Island, May 2003 (NMV A25111-006). Photo: R. McPhee © NORFANZ. View larger image.

Photo: R. McPhee © NORFANZ. View larger image.

A Humpback Blackdevil trawled during the NORFANZ expedition at a depth between the surface and 1460 m in international waters south of Norfolk Island, May 2003 (NMNZ P39263). Photo: K. Parkinson © NORFANZ. View larger image.

The Humpback Blackdevil is a soft-bodied fish that lacks scales and pelvic fins. It has a large head and mouth, with long pointed teeth. There is a short illicium with a bulbous esca on the snout. Live fish are black.

This species is sexually dimorphic Females grow to 18 cm in length but males only grow to 2.9 cm.

It occurs at mesopelagic depths in tropical and temperate waters worldwide.

In Australia it is known from off central to southern New South Wales and near Norfolk Island.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

The Humpback Blackdevil has also been called Johnson's Anglerfish.

Two species of Melanocetus occur in Australian waters. The second is Murray's Abyssal Anglerfish. Females can be distinguished by the shape of the anterior margin of the vomer (nearly straight in M. johnsonii vs deeply concave in M. murrayi) and size and shape of the escal bulb. Males can be distinguished by the number of denticular teeth on the snout and lower jaw (11 or more and 12 - 24 respectively for M. johnsonii vs 3 - 5 and 10 - 13 for M. murrayi) and the number of dorsal and pectoral fin rays (13 - 15 and 17 - 20 for M. johnsonii vs 12 - 14 and 15 - 18 for M. murrayi).

Related links

• Murray's Abyssal Anglerfish fact sheet
• View the Deepsea fishes list

Further reading

1. Bertelsen, E., & Pietsch, T.W. 1983. The Ceratioid Anglerfishes of Australia. Records of the Australian Museum. 35: 77-99.
2. Pietsch, T. W. 1999. Melanocetidae. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 3. Batoid fishes, chimaeras and bony fishes part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-vi, 1398-2068.
3. Stewart, A.L. & T.W. Pietsch. 1998. The ceratioid anglerfishes (Lophiiformes: Ceratioidei) of New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 28 (1): 1-37.