Tyrannophryne

Tyrannophryne pugnax, the tyrant devil is a species of deep-sea anglerfish in the dreamer family, Oneirodidae. It is the sole member of its genus. Like other oneirodids, T. pugnax is a bathypelagic fish with a bioluminescent lure. It is known only from two adolescent female specimens, one caught in 1928 near Tahiti-Rarotonga, and the other in 1956 northwest of Bikini Atoll.[1]

Tyrannophryne
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Oneirodidae
Genus: Tyrannophryne
Regan & Trewavas, 1932
Species:
T. pugnax
Binomial name
Tyrannophryne pugnax
Regan & Trewavas, 1932

The most distinctive feature of T. pugnax is its extremely long lower jaw, the joint of which extends backwards well past the base of the pectoral fin. The body of the fish is relatively slender, naked, and entirely black in color. The tail fin has unpigmented rays and is covered by dark skin for some distance past its base. The sphenotic spines (above the eyes) and symphysial spine (at the tip of the jaw) are present.[2]

Tyrannophryne pugnax can be found at around 2000 meters depth in the south pacific near the island of Tahiti. These fish can vary in size but are usually around 4.7 centimetres (1.9 in) in length.[3]

References

  1. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2008). "Tyrannophryne pugnax" in FishBase. October 2008 version.
  2. Pietsch, Theodore W. and Kenaley, Christopher P. (2005). Oneirodidae. Dreamers. Version 5 November 2005 (under construction). The Tree of Life Web Project.
  3. "Taiwan Fish Database". fishdb.sinica.edu.tw. Retrieved 30 December 2022.


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