Lophiocharon
A genus of frogfishes with free dorsal spines and bifurcate caudal rays.
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Photographer Theodore W. Pietsch · via Wikipedia: Lophiocharon · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lophiocharon is a genus of anglerfishes first proposed in 1933 by Gilbert Percy Whitley.[1] The genus contains three recognized species: Hutchins' anglerfish, the marble-mouthed frogfish, and the three-spot frogfish.[1] The name may combine Lophius with Charon, the ferryman of the dead.[2][3]
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassActinopterygii
- DivisionTeleostei
- OrderLophiiformes
- FamilyAntennariidae
- GenusLophiocharon
Named by Whitley, 1933
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Lophiocharon (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Quick Facts
- Type species
- Lophiocharon broomensis
Facts from the source article.
Biology and range
Lophiocharon anglerfishes have their second and third dorsal spines free of the skin.[4] The skin is covered with dermal denticles.[4] The third dorsal spine is joined to the nape by a membrane for over a quarter of its length.[4] The largest species is the three-spot frogfish, reaching 14.7 cm standard length.[4]
The smallest is Hutchins' anglerfish, reaching 4.9 cm standard length.[4] Every ray in the caudal fin splits into two branches.[4]
What the specialist sources record
The World Register of Marine Species places Lophiocharon in the family Histiophrynidae.[5] GBIF places the genus in the family Antennariidae.[6] GBIF holds 274 occurrence records for Lophiocharon as of October 2026.[6] The ETYFish Project states the etymology is not explained but is presumably a combination of Lophius and Charon.[3]
References
- Wikipedia, "Lophiocharon" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Lophiocharon" (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
- Christopher Scharpf, "Order LOPHIIFORMES (part 1): Families LOPHIIDAE, ANTENNARIIDAE, TETRABRACHIIDAE, LOPHICHTHYIDAE, BRACHIONICHTHYIDAE, CHAUNACIDAE and OGCOCEPHALIDAE", The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. facts only, no text reused. etyfish.org
- Wikipedia, "Lophiocharon" (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
- World Register of Marine Species, Lophiocharon (AphiaID 269728). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Lophiocharon (taxon key 2414516). 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 Lophiocharon (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: Lophiocharon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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