Glover's Anglerfish, Rhycherus gloveri Pietsch, 1984

Scientific name: Rhycherus gloveri
Rhycherus gloveri Click to enlarge image
Glovers Anglerfish, Rhycherus Gloveri, This species is related to the tasselled anglerfish (Rhycherus filamentosus, the main difference being the type of Esca or Lure and colouration of the body. Also more rarely encountered than its relative the Tasselled Anglerfish, Port Hughes, South Australia, Australia, Southern Ocean Image: J. Lewis
© J. Lewis

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Rhycherus
    Species
    gloveri
    Family
    Antennariidae
    Class
    Actinopterygii
  • Size Range
    It grows to about 16 cm in length.

Introduction

It was named in honour of Dr C.J.M. Glover (1935-1992), who was the Ichthyologist at the South Australian Museum for 27 years, from 1964 until his retirement in 1991.

Identification

Glover's Anglerfish is covered with fleshy tentacles. It lacks scales. The dorsal fin comprises three spines, the first of which (the illicium) has a tapering esca that resembles a small crustacean. The esca has a v-shaped depression along its inner margin with a cluster of long filaments basally and shorter filaments distally. The three spines are followed by 12 to 13 rays.

The species is light to dark brown dorsally, often with three dark bars on the sides of the body.

Glover's Anglerfish looks similar to the Tasselled Anglerfish. They can be separated by the shape of their escas and length of the illicium, which is longer in the Tasselled Anglerfish.

Distribution

Glover's Anglerfish is endemic to Australia, occurring in coastal rocky reefs from eastern South Australia to south-western Western Australia.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

References

  1. Pietsch, T.W. 1984. A Review of the Frogfish Genus Rhycherus with the description of a New Species from Western and Southern Australia. Copeia. 1: 68-72.
  2. Pietsch, T.W. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
  3. Pietsch, T.W. & D.B. Grobecker. 1987. Frogfishes of the World. Systematics, Zoogeography, and Behavioural Ecology. Stanford University Press. Pp. 420.