Spiny Seadevil

Metamorphosed females distinguished by the following characteristics: lacks illicium and second cephalic spine, as well as cranial trough, within which pterygiophore of illicium lies in all other female ceratioids; broad and roughly rectangular shaped frontals; absence of metapterygoid and mesopterygoid; usually short and nearly straight preopercle; usually thick and well developed premaxillae and dentaries, with rounded edges; presence of a pair of prominent nasal papillae on snout; inner margin of jaws bearing single inner row of small immobile teeth; outer margin bears 2-3 series of long hinged teeth, each with tiny distal hook; dorsal and anal fins mounted on prominent bases; presence of supraethmoid; frontals without ventromedial extensions, meet on midline; presence of parietals; conical shaped sphenotics, without distal spine; presence of pterosphenoid; hyomandibula with single head; 2 hypohyals and 6 (2+4), rarely 5 (1+4), branchiostegal rays; bifuctaed and very much reduced opercle; reduced subopercle, long and narrow, as long as or slightly longer than lower fork of opercle, without posterior notch; ventral part without spine or projection on anterior margin; quadrate, articular, angular and preopercular spines absent; jaws subequal, lower extending anteriorly beyond upper; lower jaw lacking symphisial spine; absence postmaxillary process of premaxilla and anterior-maximandibular ligament; absence of first, second and fourth pharyngobranchial, third is well developed and toothed; single ossified hypobranchial; absence of ossified basibranchials; absence of epibranchial and ceratobranchial; epurals absent; deeply notched posterior margin of hypural plate; pterygiophore of illicium fully embedded in skin of head; esca absent; coracoid lacking posteroventral process; 3 pectoral radials; small and cylindrical pelvic bones, without distal expansion; dorsal fin rays 10-13; anal fin rays 10-13; pectoral fin rays 12-15; pelvic fins absent (Ref. 86949).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 13; Analsoft rays: 10 - 13

Meso- (Ref 58302) and bathypelagic (Ref. 7300, 75154). Females with long movable teeth outside jaws. Mature males parasitic on females.

fisheries: of no interest

廣泛分布於全球，但集中於熱帶及溫帶地區。臺灣分布於東部海域。

罕見魚類，除學術研究外，無經濟價值。

背鰭鰭條10-13，臀鰭鰭條10-13，胸鰭鰭條12-15，無腹鰭，尾鰭鰭條9。上頜齒12-49，下頜齒15-48。體狹長，側扁；頭部與身體明顯區別；頭部各骨頭末端之棘不明顯；眼睛相當小；鰓蓋不明顯，具有一管狀開口。口大，向後延伸超過眼睛；口部外側具有許多鈎狀牙齒。不具有由第一背鰭棘特化之吻觸手。胸鰭小，呈扇形；背鰭及腹鰭大，位於身體中央偏後，略遠離尾鰭基部；尾鰭成扇形，中央四鰭條分叉。體表光滑。體色全黑。(何宣慶 2012/12)

深海游泳性，以特化的吻觸手及末端餌球引誘獵物。雌雄異型，雄魚屬義務型寄生於雌魚身上。肉食性，以其他深層游泳性魚蝦類為食。產浮性卵，形成帶狀或卵筏，藉由洋流飄送各地。

Slope Water south of Welker Canyon

benthic