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Fringed deepsea anglerfish (Bifax lacinia) — Batrachoididae

Fringed deepsea anglerfish

Bifax lacinia

The Fringed deepsea anglerfish (Bifax lacinia) is a saltwater fish of the family Batrachoididae that grows up to 33 cm.

Length
33 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
6.0–8.0 m
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The fringed deepsea anglerfish is an anglerfish of the continental slope in the deep western Atlantic. The species grows to about 20 cm and has a globular, flattened, soft body with a large, wide mouth, fringe-like skin flaps along the jaw and leg-like pectoral fins with which it shuffles over the bottom. Above the mouth it carries a spine modified into a tiny rod with a lure; with it it draws prey within range of its sudden gulping mouth. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Fringed deepsea anglerfish?

The Fringed deepsea anglerfish has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Fringed deepsea anglerfish live?

The Fringed deepsea anglerfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Fringed deepsea anglerfish get?

The Fringed deepsea anglerfish grows to a maximum of about 33 cm.

Is the Fringed deepsea anglerfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Fringed deepsea anglerfish is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Franje-diepzeehengelaar sourced
English name
Fringed deepsea anglerfish sourced
Scientific name
Bifax lacinia
Family
Batrachoididae
Other names
Two-faced toadfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
33.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
6.0 verified
Max depth (m)
8.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

More from the family Batrachoididae

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