What the sources say
Humpback AnglerfishMelanocetus johnsonii
Every figure, record and mechanism on the Humpback Anglerfish profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 51 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.
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Source
01
Australian Museum
Humpback Blackdevil, Melanocetus johnsonii Gunther, 1864. Australian Museum.
- The page saysThe female wears a lure on her snout and can swallow a fish longer than herself.
- The source says
There is a short illicium with a bulbous esca on the snout.
Note: lure = illicium and esca; the swallowing half is claimed to FishBase below - The page saysThe female humpback anglerfish is a soft-bodied fish with no scales and no pelvic fins.
- The source says
The Humpback Blackdevil is a soft-bodied fish that lacks scales and pelvic fins. Females have a large head and mouth, with long pointed teeth.
- The page saysLive fish are black
- The source says
Live fish are black.
- The page saysShe has a large head, a big mouth and long pointed teeth.
- The source says
Females have a large head and mouth, with long pointed teeth.
- The page saysOn her snout sits a short rod called an illicium, tipped with a bulb called an esca.
- The source says
There is a short illicium with a bulbous esca on the snout.
- The page saysFemales grow to 18 cm.
- The source says
Females grow to 18 cm in length but males only grow to 2.9 cm.
- The page saysMales are slender, have no lure and only reach 2.9 cm.
- The source says
Males, however, are slender fish that lack a lure and only grow to 2.9 cm.
- The page saysIn Australia it is known off central to southern New South Wales and near Norfolk Island.
- The source says
In Australia it is known from off central to southern New South Wales and near Norfolk Island.
- The page says2.9 cm at most, against her 18 cm
- The source says
Females grow to 18 cm in length but males only grow to 2.9 cm.
- The page saysA male lacks a lure
- The source says
Males, however, are slender fish that lack a lure and only grow to 2.9 cm.
- The page saysMales and females look very different.
- The source says
Male and female Humpback Blackdevils look very different.
- The page saysOnly the female carries the illicium and esca.
- The source says
Males, however, are slender fish that lack a lure
Note: female lure: 'There is a short illicium with a bulbous esca on the snout' in the females' description - The page saysThe female humpback anglerfish carries a lure on her snout
- The source says
There is a short illicium with a bulbous esca on the snout.
Note: vibe.reason
Source
02
FishBase
Melanocetus johnsonii, Humpback anglerfish. FishBase.
- The page saysThe female wears a lure on her snout and can swallow a fish longer than herself.
- The source says
Capable of catching and swallowing prey larger than itself, as witness the approximately 24.0 cm SL specimen of Chauliodus sp. in the stomach of a 6.6 cm SL individual
- The page saysTropical to temperate oceans worldwide, usually at depths of 100 to 1,500 m
- The source says
depth range 100 - 4500 m (Ref. 74511 ), usually 100 - 1500 m
Note: 1,500 m is FishBase's 1500 m - The page saysTropical to temperate oceans worldwide, usually at depths of 100 to 1,500 m
- The source says
Tropical to temperate parts of all oceans.
Note: 1,500 m is FishBase's 1500 m - The page saysIncludes fish longer than itself
- The source says
Capable of catching and swallowing prey larger than itself, as witness the approximately 24.0 cm SL specimen of Chauliodus sp. in the stomach of a 6.6 cm SL individual
- The page saysSwallows prey longer than itself
- The source says
Capable of catching and swallowing prey larger than itself
- The page saysthe genus name Melanocetus comes from Greek words for "black" and "large sea creature"
- The source says
Melanocetus: Greek, 'melas' or 'melanos' = black + Greek, 'ketos' = any large sea creature
- The page saysThey are also dwarfed and non-parasitic, meaning they do not live off the female.
- The source says
Males dwarfed and non-parasitic
Note: 'so they do not live off the female' only defines non-parasitic - The page saysHer eggs are presumably held in floating gelatinous rafts.
- The source says
Eggs are presumably contained in floating gelatinous rafts
- The page saysThe larvae are planktonic
- The source says
Oviparous, with planktonic larvae
- The page saysthey are found mostly in the top 100 m of water
- The source says
Larvae are found primarily in upper 100 m
- The page saysThe species is capable of catching and swallowing prey larger than itself.
- The source says
Capable of catching and swallowing prey larger than itself
- The page saysFishBase gives one case: a 6.6 cm individual with a Chauliodus of about 24 cm in its stomach, more than three times its length.
- The source says
the approximately 24.0 cm SL specimen of Chauliodus sp. in the stomach of a 6.6 cm SL individual
Note: more than three times: 24.0 / 6.6 = 3.6, both standard lengths - The page saysThe species lives in tropical to temperate parts of all oceans.
- The source says
Tropical to temperate parts of all oceans.
- The page saysIt is usually found between 100 and 1,500 m, with a recorded range of 100 to 4,500 m.
- The source says
depth range 100 - 4500 m (Ref. 74511 ), usually 100 - 1500 m
- The page saysYes. One humpback anglerfish of just 6.6 cm was found with a Chauliodus of roughly 24 cm in its stomach, a meal more than three times its own length.
- The source says
Capable of catching and swallowing prey larger than itself, as witness the approximately 24.0 cm SL specimen of Chauliodus sp. in the stomach of a 6.6 cm SL individual
Note: more than three times: 24.0 / 6.6 = 3.6, both standard lengths - The page sayshas been recorded as deep as 4,500 m
- The source says
depth range 100 - 4500 m (Ref. 74511 ), usually 100 - 1500 m
Note: vibe.reason
Source
03
Orlov et al. 2015
Orlov et al. (2015). First record of humpback anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii) (Melanocetidae) in Antarctic waters. Polar Research.
- The page saysThe toothfish was caught on a bottom longline at 1,243 to 1,355 m.
- The source says
caught on 6 January 2014 by bottom longline (set no. 25) from the fishing vessel Ugulan at 1243 ... 1355 m depth
- The page saysScientists confirmed the anglerfish's identity from the structure of its esca and from a gene called COI.
- The source says
Species identification is confirmed by the structure of the escal bulb and analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene.
- The page saysThe anglerfish measured 157 mm and weighed 290 g.
- The source says
a total length (TL) of 157 mm (SL 133 mm) and body weight of 290 g
- The page saysIn January 2014 a fishing vessel in the Ross Sea caught an Antarctic toothfish with one inside its stomach.
- The source says
was found in the stomach of an Antarctic toothfish ( Dissostichus mawsoni ) with a TL of 138 cm and a body weight of 28 kg, caught on 6 January 2014 by bottom longline
- The page saysResearchers called it the first record of the species in Antarctic waters.
- The source says
The first record of the humpback anglerfish ( Melanocetus johnsonii ) in Antarctic waters (Ross Sea) is documented.
- The page saysIt pushed the known range south by more than 1,000 nautical miles.
- The source says
This record extends the known range of M. johnsonii by more than 1000 nm to the south.
- The page saysIn 2014 one turned up in the stomach
- The source says
was found in the stomach of an Antarctic toothfish ( Dissostichus mawsoni ) with a TL of 138 cm and a body weight of 28 kg, caught on 6 January 2014
- The page saysa 138 cm Antarctic toothfish in the Ross Sea
- The source says
an Antarctic toothfish ( Dissostichus mawsoni ) with a TL of 138 cm
- The page saysthe first record in Antarctic waters
- The source says
The first record of the humpback anglerfish ( Melanocetus johnsonii ) in Antarctic waters (Ross Sea) is documented.
Source
04
Pietsch 2009
Pietsch (2009). Oceanic Anglerfishes: Extraordinary Diversity in the Deep Sea, Introduction and Historical Perspective. University of California Press.
- The page saysShe belongs to the ceratioids, a group of deep-sea anglerfishes.
- The source says
two female ceratioid anglerfishes (Linophryne and Melanocetus)
- The page saysCeratioids have a bacterial light organ that serves as bait to attract prey.
- The source says
Ceratioid anglerfishes differ further from their less-derived bottom-dwelling relatives in having a bacterial light-organ that serves as bait to attract prey
- The page saysAlbert Günther described the species in 1864
- The source says
brought to London from Madeira by James Yates Johnson (c. 1820–1900) and described by Günther in 1864
- The page saysa 64 mm female that James Yates Johnson brought from Madeira
- The source says
Günther’s holotype of Melanocetus johnsonii , female, 64 mm SL, BMNH 1864.7.18.6, brought to London from Madeira by James Yates Johnson
- The page saysIts big belly held a fish, rolled into a ball, nearly twice the length of the anglerfish.
- The source says
remarkable for its large pendulous belly—which when opened was found to contain, “rolled up spirally into a ball, a Scopeline fish” nearly twice the length of the angler
- The page saysGünther named it for Johnson.
- The source says
named Melanocetus johnsonii in honor of its collector
- The page saysIts big belly held a fish, rolled into a ball, nearly twice the length
- The source says
“rolled up spirally into a ball, a Scopeline fish” nearly twice the length of the angler
- The page sayscan swallow a fish longer than herself
- The source says
“rolled up spirally into a ball, a Scopeline fish” nearly twice the length of the angler
- The page saysIncludes fish longer than itself
- The source says
“rolled up spirally into a ball, a Scopeline fish” nearly twice the length of the angler
- The page saysSwallows prey longer than itself
- The source says
“rolled up spirally into a ball, a Scopeline fish” nearly twice the length of the angler
Source
05
Hendry et al. 2018
Hendry et al. (2018). Ongoing Transposon-Mediated Genome Reduction in the Luminous Bacterial Symbionts of Deep-Sea Ceratioid Anglerfishes.
- The page saystags: bioluminescent
- The source says
we generated and analyzed de novo genome sequences for the light organ symbionts from two distantly related ceratioid host species, two individuals of Cryptopsaras couesii (Ceratiidae) and one individual Melanocetus johnsonii (Melanocetidae)
Note: tags, task #986: species-level source for the luminous light organ (the paper's title names the symbionts luminous); replaces the ceratioid-scope Pietsch quote as the tag's support
Source
06
Arnold 2015
Arnold (2015). Melanocetus johnsonii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T18127840A21911455.
- The page saysLeast Concern
- The source says
IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).
Note: GBIF's copy of the Red List, checked against IUCN taxon 18127840 inside the DOI - The page saysThe IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern.
- The source says
IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).
Note: GBIF's copy of the Red List, checked against IUCN taxon 18127840 inside the DOI
How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.