Rhycherus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the subfamily Histiophryninae in the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The fishes in this genus are endemic to the waters off Australia. This genus is classified in the monogeneric family Rhycheridae, the Balrog frogfishes, by some authorities.
| Rhycherus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Rhycherus filamentosus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Lophiiformes |
| Family: | Antennariidae |
| Subfamily: | Histiophryninae |
| Genus: | Rhycherus J. D. Ogilby, 1907 |
| Type species | |
| Rhycherus wildii Ogilby, 1907[1]
| |
Taxonomy
editRhycherus was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1907 by the Australian ichthyologist James Douglas Ogilby when he described Rhycherus wildii.[1] R. wildii had its type locality given as South Australia, this taxon is now considered to be a junior synonym of Chironectes filamentosus, originally described by François-Louis Laporte, comte de Castelnau in 1872 from St Vincent Gulf in South Australia.[2] Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Histiophryninae within the family Antennariidae,[3] while others place it in the monotypic family Rhycheridae.[1] However, the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Antennariidae, instead classifying the family, including this genus, within the suborder Antennarioidei and the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes.[4]
Etymology
editRhycherus is Greek and means “ragged”, an allusion to the shaggy appearance of R. filamentosus.[5]
Species
editRhycherus currently has two recognized species classified within it:[6]
- Rhycherus filamentosus Castelnau, 1872 (Tasselled anglerfish)
- Rhycherus gloveri Pietsch, 1984 (Glover's anglerfish)
Characteristics
editRhycherus anglerfishes' second and third dorsal spines are not hidden underneath their skin. All of the fin rays in their caudal fin are forked. They have smooth skin with many closely set cutaneous appendages instead of dermal denticles. Their third dorsal spin is mostly free, with only the basal quarter to third connected to the nape by a membrane.[3] The largest species in the genus is R. filamentosus, which has a maximum published total length of 23 cm (9.1 in).[6]
Distribution and habitat
editRhycherus anglerfishes are endemic to Australia. R. filamentosus is found in southeastern Australia[7] while R. gloveri is found in southwestern Australia.[8] Both species of anglerfish occur on algal-covered rocky reefs at depths down to around 150 m (490 ft).[7][8]
Biology
editRhycherus anglerfish are oviparous. The eggs laid by the females are large, and each egg is adhered to the surface of a rock by a long filament. The male then guards the eggs with his body, protecting him until the offspring emerge. Like other anglerfish, these fish are ambush predators, luring in prey with their illicium or esca.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Rhycheridae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Rhycherus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ a b Arnold, R.J.; Harcourt, R. & Pietsch, T.W. (2014). "A New Genus and Species of the Frogfish Family Antennariidae (Teleostei: Lophiiformes: Antennarioidei) from New South Wales, Australia, with a Diagnosis and Key to the Genera of the Histiophryninae". Copeia. 2014 (3): 534–539. doi:10.1643/ci-13-155. S2CID 83936725.
- ^ Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 508–518. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN 2015037522. OCLC 951899884. OL 25909650M.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf (14 November 2022). "Order LOPHIIFORMES (part 1): Families LOPHIIDAE, ANTENNARIIDAE, TETRABRACHIIDAE, LOPHICHTHYIDAE, BRACHIONICHTHYIDAE, CHAUNACIDAE and OGCOCEPHALIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Rhycherus". FishBase. February 2024 version.
- ^ a b c Bray, D.J. (2021). "Rhycherus filamentosus". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ a b Bray, D.J. (2019). "Rhycherus gloveri". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 20 April 2024.