Teleostei (teleosts) >
Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Chaunacidae (Sea toads o coffinfishes)
Etymology: Chaunax: Greek, chaunax, -akos = a conceited man (Ref. 45335); africanus: Named for the types' regional locality; its decorated pattern is similar to some strikingly coloured African animals like the giraffe.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range 162 - 200 m (Ref. 94130). Tropical
Western Indian Ocean: Mozambique (probably endemic in the southwestern Indian Ocean).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 22.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 94130)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12; Anal soft rays: 6 - 7. This species which is a member of the C. fimbriatus-species group is distinguished from its congeners in having the following characters: body is covered by variable-sized, irregular brownish patches and a complex white reticulate pattern; eye circled by prominent radiating brownish markings; dorsal-fin base with 2-3 pairs of narrow brownish bars; pale reticulate markings frequently double-lined; pattern extending forward to front of lower jaw, and over pectoral and caudal fins; bridging each neuromast are 3-4 pairs of spinules; second gill arch with 8-9 rakers; short and stout illicium; small illicial trough oval in shape; esca with numerous thin pale cirri with brown tips; pale gill chamber; peritoneal membrane black; lateral-line neuromast counts: upper preopercular = 2, infraorbital = 6-7, hyomandibular = 3, pectoral = 10-12, body proper = 31-32 (Ref. 94130).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Ho, H.-C. and P.R. Last, 2013. Two new species of the coffinfish genus Chaunax (Lophiiformes: Chaunacidae) from the Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 3710(5):436-448. (Ref. 94130)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 13.9 - 17.7, mean 16.5 °C (based on 8 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.1 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (18 of 100).
