| Family: |
Ceratiidae (Warty Seadevils) |
| Max. size: |
16 cm SL (male/unsexed); 120 cm TL (female) |
| Environment: |
bathypelagic; marine; depth range 400 - 4400 m |
| Distribution: |
Circumglobal: In tropical to temperate waters. Adults (expatriates ?) found in boreal and subarctic waters. South China Sea and East China Sea (Ref.74511). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 3-4; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 4-4; Vertebrae: 20-20. Branchiostegal rays: 6 (Ref. 36494).
Description: Characterized by female having single distal escal appendage, illicium length 14.5-37.8% SL; vomerine teeth (2 to 6) nearly always present in metamorphosed specimens less than 80 mm, rarely present in larger specimens; darkly pigmented proximal one-half to two thirds of escal bulb, distal portion oval in shape, proximal portion tapering into stem of illicium; single slender escal appendage arising just anterior to escal pore, occasionally with 3 short filaments on each side; escal pore at apex of bulb, usually raised on a pigmented papilla; presence of at least 1, usually 2-6 vomerine teeth in specimens less than 80 mm (Ref. 086949). |
| Biology: |
Maximum size observed for free living males is 1.3 cm (Ref. 10524). Males are parasitic, females oviparous with planktonic larvae (Ref. 36494). Eggs are presumably contained in floating gelatinous rafts (Ref. 36494). Minimum depth from Ref. 037729. |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 May 2013 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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