How to Identify Anglerfish

To identify Anglerfish (Lophiiformes), look at these key features.

Physical Characteristics

Body shape

flat

Coloration

Highly variable; often cryptic, blending with their environment. Colors range from mottled browns, greens, and grays for benthic species to dark black or reddish-brown for deep-sea forms. Some shallow-water species can be brightly colored.

Scale type

none

Mouth position

superior

Distinctive features

Illlicium (fishing rod-like appendage) and esca (lure) on the head, Large, upward-pointing mouth with sharp, inwardly-curved teeth, Depressed or globose body shape, Small, widely spaced eyes (reduced in deep-sea species), Absence of scales in many species, skin often covered with dermal spinules or filaments

Dorsal fin

First dorsal fin modified into an illicium and esca; second and third dorsal fins typically soft-rayed and located posteriorly.

Tail fin

Rounded or truncate caudal fin, often small relative to body size.

Pectoral fin

Large, fleshy, and limb-like pectoral fins, often used for 'walking' on the seafloor in benthic species.

Distinctive fins

Pelvic fins, if present, are jugular (anterior to pectoral fins).

Identification Tips

1. 1

   Illlicium and Esca

   The most defining characteristic. Look for the 'fishing rod' extending from the head, often with a bioluminescent or fleshy lure at its tip. The shape and complexity of the esca can be species-specific.

2. 2

   Mouth and Teeth

   Anglerfish possess a disproportionately large mouth, often extending beyond the eyes, armed with numerous long, sharp, inwardly-curved teeth designed to prevent prey escape.

3. 3

   Body Shape

   Observe the overall body form. Many are dorsoventrally flattened (e.g., goosefishes, Lophiidae) or globose/compressed (e.g., frogfishes, Antennariidae; deep-sea anglerfishes, Ceratiidae).

4. 4

   Skin Texture

   Many species lack true scales, having smooth skin, or skin covered with dermal spinules, filaments, or wart-like protuberances, aiding in camouflage.

Explore Anglerfish