Echinophryne
A genus of spiny-skinned frogfishes endemic to Australian waters.
Last updated
Ben Grant / Atlas of Living Australia · via Wikipedia: Echinophryne · CC BY 3.0
Echinophryne is a genus of anglerfishes endemic to Australia.[1][2] Three species are currently recognized: the prickly anglerfish, long-spined anglerfish, and sponge anglerfish.[3] The genus name Echinophryne derives from the Greek term "echinos", which translates to "sea urchin" or "hedgehog", combined with "phryne" meaning toad.[2][4]
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassActinopterygii
- DivisionTeleostei
- OrderLophiiformes
- FamilyAntennariidae
- GenusEchinophryne
Named by McCulloch & Waite, 1918
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Echinophryne (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Biology and range
Echinophryne anglerfishes have the second and third dorsal spines free from the skin.[5] Their rough skin is densely covered in denticles.[5] They are found along southern Australia from King George Sound in Western Australia to Jervis Bay in New South Wales, including Tasmania.[1] The prickly anglerfish inhabits shallow rocky reefs, often under rocks, ledges, and around jetties at depths to 20 m.[4]
The sponge anglerfish associates with sponges on rocky reefs.[1] The long-spined anglerfish is found in depths of 5 to 70 m.[6] One species, the sponge anglerfish, occurs from Western Port, Victoria, to King George Sound, Western Australia.[2] Denticles that are closely set cover the illicium, and this structure does not have a bulbous esca or lure.[5]
What the specialist sources record
The Fishes of Australia account notes that Echinophryne reynoldsi was described by Pietsch and Kuiter in 1984.[2] The same source states that Echinophryne crassispina was described by McCulloch and Waite in 1918.[4] The World Register of Marine Species places the genus in the family Histiophrynidae, order Lophiiformes.[7] GBIF records 163 occurrence records for this taxon as of October 2026.[8]
The Fishes of Australia accounts classify all three species within the family Antennariidae.[2][4][6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Echinophryne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dianne J. Bray, "Echinophryne reynoldsi", Fishes of Australia; Dianne J. Bray, "Echinophryne crassispina", Fishes of Australia, 2020; Dianne J. Bray, "Echinophryne crassispina", Fishes of Australia, 2020; Dianne J. Bray, "Echinophryne reynoldsi", Fishes of Australia; Bray, D.J., "Echinophryne mitchellii", Fishes of Australia, 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Dianne J. Bray, "Echinophryne reynoldsi", Fishes of Australia. facts only, no text reused. fishesofaustralia.net.au
- Wikipedia, "Echinophryne" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
- Dianne J. Bray, "Echinophryne crassispina", Fishes of Australia, 2020. facts only, no text reused. fishesofaustralia.net.au
- Wikipedia, "Echinophryne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: 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; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Bray, D.J., "Echinophryne mitchellii", Fishes of Australia, 2018. facts only, no text reused. fishesofaustralia.net.au
- World Register of Marine Species, Echinophryne (AphiaID 269032). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Echinophryne (taxon key 2414674). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.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 (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.
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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.
- Wikipedia: Echinophryne (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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