Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Lophiiformes
(Anglerfishes) > Neoceratiidae
Etymology: Neoceratias: Named by Pappenheim (1914:198) to signify a new kind of ceratiid-like anglerfish, at the time expressing uncertainty of its position within the suborder but finding great similarity with the Ceratiidae. (Ref. 86949).
Environment / Climate / Range
Marine; demersal; depth range 0 - 1200 m (Ref. 58302). Deep-water
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 557)
Morphology | Morphometrics
soft rays: 10 - 13. Metamorphosed females distinguished by the following characteristics: lacks illicium and second cephalic spine, as well as cranial trough, within which pterygiophore of illicium lies in all other female ceratioids; broad and roughly rectangular shaped frontals; absence of metapterygoid and mesopterygoid; usually short and nearly straight preopercle; usually thick and well developed premaxillae and dentaries, with rounded edges; presence of a pair of prominent nasal papillae on snout; inner margin of jaws bearing single inner row of small immobile teeth; outer margin bears 2-3 series of long hinged teeth, each with tiny distal hook; dorsal and anal fins mounted on prominent bases; presence of supraethmoid; frontals without ventromedial extensions, meet on midline; presence of parietals; conical shaped sphenotics, without distal spine; presence of pterosphenoid; hyomandibula with single head; 2 hypohyals and 6 (2+4), rarely 5 (1+4), branchiostegal rays; bifuctaed and very much reduced opercle; reduced subopercle, long and narrow, as long as or slightly longer than lower fork of opercle, without posterior notch; ventral part without spine or projection on anterior margin; quadrate, articular, angular and preopercular spines absent; jaws subequal, lower extending anteriorly beyond upper; lower jaw lacking symphisial spine; absence postmaxillary process of premaxilla and anterior-maximandibular ligament; absence of first, second and fourth pharyngobranchial, third is well developed and toothed; single ossified hypobranchial; absence of ossified basibranchials; absence of epibranchial and ceratobranchial; epurals absent; deeply notched posterior margin of hypural plate; pterygiophore of illicium fully embedded in skin of head; esca absent; coracoid lacking posteroventral process; 3 pectoral radials; small and cylindrical pelvic bones, without distal expansion; dorsal fin rays 10-13; anal fin rays 10-13; pectoral fin rays 12-15; pelvic fins absent (Ref. 86949).
Western Central Pacific.
Meso- (Ref 58302) and bathypelagic (Ref. 7300, 75154). Females with long movable teeth outside jaws. Mature males parasitic on females.
Nelson, J.S., 1984. Fishes of the world. 2nd edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. 523 p. (Ref. 245)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Threat to humans
Fisheries: of no interest
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
CollaboratorsPicturesStamps, CoinsSoundsCiguateraSpeedSwim. typeGill areaOtolithsBrainsVision
Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 1.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278
): 3.5 ±0.5 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref. 69278
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Low vulnerability (10 of 100) .