Frogfish and Dragonets Codexery

Echinophryne mitchellii

A spiny-coated frogfish endemic to temperate southern Australian waters.

Last updated

Echinophryne mitchellii

Edgar Ravenswood Waite · via Wikipedia: Echinophryne mitchellii · Public domain

Echinophryne mitchellii is a marine anglerfish species accepted in both the family Histiophrynidae and Antennariidae.[1][2] The species was first described as Antennarius mitchellii in 1897 by Alexander Morton.[3] According to published data, the standard length of this species reaches a maximum of 11.1 cm.[4]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderLophiiformes
  6. FamilyAntennariidae
  7. GenusEchinophryne
  8. SpeciesEchinophryne mitchellii

Named by (Morton, 1897)

Close relatives

Other species of Echinophryne with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Echinophryne mitchellii (CC BY-SA 4.0) · differs from this box at family: WoRMS AphiaID 280585 (CC BY 4.0)

How big is it?

Size comparison: Echinophryne mitchellii and a personA 0.11 m long echinophryne mitchellii drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.11 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.11 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Echinophryne mitchellii

Where the echinophryne mitchellii has been recorded

Where the echinophryne mitchellii has been recorded12 mapped locations from 25 GBIF occurrence records; marked places: Wilsons Promontory, Streaky Bay, South AustraliaWilsons PromontoryStreaky Bay, South Australia

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (25 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 3 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Biology and range

Scales are absent, and the skin is covered with close-set, bifurcate spinules.[5] The illicium arises on the tip of the snout and lacks a distinct esca.[5] Overall colour is beige, light pinkish-brown, yellow, or yellowish-brown.[5] It occurs from Wilsons Promontory in Victoria west to Streaky Bay in South Australia.[6]

This fish features a large head, a short caudal peduncle, and a body that is deep, short, and only slightly compressed.[5] Located above the eye, the second dorsal spine lacks any membrane connecting it to the head.[5] The soft rays of the dorsal fin number 13 or 14, while the anal fin contains either 8 or 9 soft rays.[4] Dark-brown to black irregular blotches are present, most prominently on the face and the top of the head.[5]

Southeastern Australia's temperate waters are the exclusive home of this endemic species.[6]

What the specialist sources record

The Fishes of Australia account notes the eyes are small, measuring 4.6–6.7% of standard length.[5] The same source records the illicium length as 17.0–21.4% of standard length.[5] The second dorsal spine length is given as 15.4–20.5% of standard length.[5] The ETYFish Project states the specific name possibly honours the Scottish-born Australian schoolteacher and paleontologist John Mitchell.[7]

The Fishes of Australia account lists the pectoral fin as having 11 rays and the pelvic fin as having 5 rays.[5] GBIF holds 30 occurrence records for this taxon.[2]

References

  1. World Register of Marine Species, Echinophryne mitchellii (AphiaID 280585). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  2. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Echinophryne mitchellii (taxon key 2414677). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Echinophryne mitchellii" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Christopher Scharpf, "Order LOPHIIFORMES (part 1): Families LOPHIIDAE, ANTENNARIIDAE, TETRABRACHIIDAE, LOPHICHTHYIDAE, BRACHIONICHTHYIDAE, CHAUNACIDAE and OGCOCEPHALIDAE", The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database; Arnold, R. J., "A new genus and species of the frogfish family Antennariidae (Teleostei: Lophiiformes: Antennarioidei) from New South Wales, Australia, with a diagnosis and key to the genera of the Histiophryninae", Cope; ; "Fishes of the World", John Wiley & Sons, 2016, p. 508–518 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Echinophryne mitchellii" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bray, D.J., "Echinophryne mitchellii", Fishes of Australia, 2018; (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Bray, D.J., "Echinophryne mitchellii", Fishes of Australia, 2018. facts only, no text reused. fishesofaustralia.net.au
  6. Wikipedia, "Echinophryne mitchellii" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Echinophryne mitchellii" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Christopher Scharpf, "Order LOPHIIFORMES (part 1): Families LOPHIIDAE, ANTENNARIIDAE, TETRABRACHIIDAE, LOPHICHTHYIDAE, BRACHIONICHTHYIDAE, CHAUNACIDAE and OGCOCEPHALIDAE", The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Echinophryne mitchellii (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Same family (Antennariidae)

Abantennarius nummifer Abantennarius nummifer

Named in this entry

EchinophryneActinopterygii

More in Frogfish

FrogfishAbantennariusAntennariusFowlerichthysSargassum fishNudiantennariusRhycherinaeAbantennarius analisAbantennarius bermudensisAbantennarius coccineusAbantennarius dorehensisAbantennarius drombus

Elsewhere in Frogfish and Dragonets

Callionymidae · DragonetsOcellated dragonet · DragonetsSynchiropus monacanthus · DragonetsSynchiropus phaeton · DragonetsPicturesque dragonet · DragonetsSynchiropus splendidus · Dragonets

Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year was Echinophryne mitchellii first scientifically described?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1897.

2. To which biological family does the Echinophryne mitchellii belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Antennariidae.

3. To which biological order does the Echinophryne mitchellii belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Lophiiformes.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →