Mosaic Gulper Shark

Centrophorus tesselatus

Family, Genus, Class & Etymology

Family	Centrophrynidae
Description	Prickly Seadevils
Environment	Marine
Etymology	Greek, kentron and Latin, centrum = prickle or spine (in addition to the midpoint of a circle ) + Greek, phryne = toad, prickly toad
Genus	1
No. of Species	1
Order	Lophiiformes
Class	Actinopterygii
Reproductive Guild	Nonguarders
Distribution	Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Common name: Prickly seadevils (Ref. 86949). Distinguishing characters: Females elongate and laterally compressed, with small, anterior mouths, opening almost horizontally. Teeth are numerous but small compared to most ceratioids. Metamorphosed females uniquely possessing only one oval-shaped gonad, lacking sphenotic spines on the dorsal part of the head and having several, small, tooth-bearing plates along the upper margin of all the gill arches (a feature shared only with himantolophids). Skin covered with finely set dermal spinules, the texture of sandpaper. Having 3-4 pectoral radials. Esca composed of a compressed, fan-shaped anterior appendage and a short, relatively compressed posterior appendage. Largest known female measured 2.47 cm. In comparison, males have the short barbel on the throat, notably small eyes, large olfactory organs, and somewhat triangular upper denticular plate with transverse series of 3 well-developed hooked denticles; crescent lower denticular plate with 4 symmetrical denticles fused at the base; skin notably lacking dermal spicules. The only recorded adult male measures 1.28 cm. For both sexes as well as larvae, dorsal fin rays number 5-7, anal fin rays number 5 or 6, pectoral fin rays are 15 or 16, and 9 caudal rays. Larvae and juveniles with small digitiform hyoid barbel on the throat.