Frogfish and Dragonets Codexery

Phyllophryne

A smooth-skinned frogfish endemic to southern Australian waters.

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Phyllophryne

Ron Greer / Bowerbird · via Wikipedia: Phyllophryne · CC BY 3.0

Phyllophryne is a monospecific genus of anglerfish first proposed in 1984 by Theodore Wells Pietsch III.[1] The genus name combines phyllon meaning "leaf" and phryne meaning "toad", referencing leaf-like skin appendages.[2] The only member of its genus, Phyllophryne scortea, attains a published total length of up to 10 cm.[3]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderLophiiformes
  6. FamilyAntennariidae
  7. GenusPhyllophryne
  8. SpeciesPhyllophryne scortea

Named by (McCulloch & Waite, 1918)

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Phyllophryne (CC BY-SA 4.0) · differs from this box at family: WoRMS AphiaID 282253 (CC BY 4.0)

How big is it?

Size comparison: Phyllophryne and a personA 0.1 m long phyllophryne drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.1 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.1 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

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

Where the phyllophryne has been recorded

Where the phyllophryne has been recorded26 mapped locations from 188 GBIF occurrence records

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (188 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 16 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)

Biology and range

It frequently hides under rocks and among sponges.[4] It is carnivorous, using an oval esca with filaments to attract prey.[4] After fertilization, the male tends the eggs by curling around them.[5] This benthic fish lives on rocky reefs in bays, estuaries, and coastal settings, in temperate waters as deep as 44 m.[4][6]

Females of Phyllophryne deposit eggs onto rocky surfaces, and the species is oviparous.[5]

What the specialist sources record

The Fishes of Australia account notes the dorsal fin has 15-16 soft rays and the anal fin has 7-9 soft rays.[4] The same source records the caudal fin has 9 rays, the pectoral fin 10-12 rays, and the pelvic fin 5 rays.[4] The illicium is tipped with an oval esca bearing several filaments.[4] The World Register of Marine Species places Phyllophryne scortea in the family Histiophrynidae.[7]

GBIF lists 216 occurrence records for this species and places it in the family Antennariidae.[8] The 2016 edition of "Fishes of the World" does not recognize subfamilies within Antennariidae.[9][1]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Phyllophryne" (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; ; "Fishes of the World", John Wiley & Sons, 2016, p. 508–518 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Phyllophryne" (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 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Phyllophryne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bray, D.J., "Phyllophryne scortea", Fishes of Australia, 2018; (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Bray, D.J., "Phyllophryne scortea", Fishes of Australia, 2018. facts only, no text reused. fishesofaustralia.net.au
  5. Wikipedia, "Phyllophryne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bray, D.J., "Phyllophryne scortea", Fishes of Australia, 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Phyllophryne" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Bray, D.J., "Phyllophryne scortea", Fishes of Australia, 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. World Register of Marine Species, Phyllophryne scortea (AphiaID 282253). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  8. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Phyllophryne scortea (taxon key 2414436). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
  9. Open Library record, ISBN 9781118342336 ("Fishes of the World"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Phyllophryne (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

Actinopterygii

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Test yourself

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

1. Who first scientifically described the Phyllophryne?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Theodore Wells Pietsch III.

2. To which biological order does the Phyllophryne belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Lophiiformes.

3. To which biological family does the Phyllophryne belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Antennariidae.

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.

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