FAMILY Gigantactinidae Boulenger, 1904 – whipnose anglers

GENUS Gigantactis Brauer, 1902 [=Gigantactis Brauer [A.] 1902:295, Laevoceratias Parr [A. E.] 1927:33, Teleotrema Regan [C. T.] & Trewavas [E.] 1932:92] Notes: [Zoologischer Anzeiger v. 25 (no. 668); ref. 631] Fem. Gigantactis vanhoeffeni Brauer 1902. Type by monotypy. •Valid as Gigantactis Brauer 1902 -- (Maul 1973:675 [ref. 7171], Bertelsen et al. 1981:24 [ref. 5330], Bertelsen & Pietsch 1983:91 [ref. 5335], Amaoka in Masuda et al. 1984:106 [ref. 6441], Bertelsen in Whitehead et al. 1986:1406 [ref. 13677], Paxton et al. 1989:292 [ref. 12442], Pietsch 1999:2036 [ref. 24766], Anderson & Leslie 2001:23 [ref. 26165], Mecklenburg et al. 2002:311 [ref. 25968], Moore 2002:1144 [ref. 26514], Bertelsen & Pietsch 2002:958 [ref. 26506], Pietsch 2003:1068 [ref. 27014], Paxton et al. 2006:668 [ref. 28994], Pietsch 2008:388 [ref. 30637], Pietsch 2009:454 [ref. 30766], Kharin 2011:662 [ref. 31582], Parin et al. 2014:188 [ref. 33547], Stewart & Pietsch 2015:933 [ref. 34271], Fricke et al. 2018:92 [ref. 35805]). Current status: Valid as Gigantactis Brauer 1902. Gigantactinidae. (Laevoceratias) [Bulletin of the Bingham Oceanographic Collection Yale University v. 3 (art. 1); ref. 3366] Masc. Laevoceratias liparis Parr 1927. Type by monotypy. •Synonym of Gigantactis (males) Brauer 1902 -- (Bertelsen et al. 1981:24 [ref. 5330], Pietsch 2009:454 [ref. 30766]). Current status: Synonym of Gigantactis Brauer 1902. Gigantactinidae. (Teleotrema) [Dana Report No. 2; ref. 3682] Neut. Teleotrema microphthalmus Regan & Trewavas 1932. Type by monotypy. •Synonym (males) of Gigantactis Brauer 1902 -- (Bertelsen et al. 1981:24 [ref. 5330], Pietsch 2009:454 [ref. 30766]). Current status: Synonym of Gigantactis Brauer 1902. Gigantactinidae.

Species Gigantactis balushkini Kharin, 1984 [=Gigantactis balushkini Kharin [V. E.] 1984:665, Fig. 2] Notes: [Voprosy Ikhtiologii v. 24 (no. 4); ref. 16247] Northwestern Pacific, off Honshu, Japan, 40°52.8'N, 142°20.8'E, depth 1210 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis balushkini Kharin 1984. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Off Japan (holotype). Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis elsmani Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis elsmani Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:43, Figs. 4E, 41, 42] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] South Atlantic, 10°57'S, 11°20'W, Walther Herwig station 459/71, depth 0-1900 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis elsmani Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Atlantic and Pacific (scattered localities). Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis gargantua Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis gargantua Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:46, Figs. 1D, 4H, 45-46] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] Northwestern Pacific, San Clamente basin, 32°16'N, 117°43'W, depth 0-1250 meters (over bottom depth of 1775 meters). Current status: Valid as Gigantactis gargantua Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Indo-Pacific (scattered localities), including Hawaiian Islands. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis gibbsi Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis gibbsi Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:36, Fig. 34, Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] Atlantic, Gulf of Guinea, 2°01'N, 3°56'W, depth 0-465 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis gibbsi Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Atlantic. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis golovani Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis golovani Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:44, Figs. 4J, 43-44] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] Southern Central Atlantic, 2°27'S, 19°00'W, Walther Herwig station 471-III/71, depth 0-660 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis golovani Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Atlantic, and perhaps the Hawaiian Islands (central Pacific). Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis gracilicauda Regan, 1925 [=Gigantactis gracilicauda Regan [C. T.] 1925:565, Gigantactis sexfilis Regan [C. T.] & Trewavas [E.] 1932:94, Pl. 5 (fig. 2); Fig. 150] Notes: [Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 9) v. 15 (no. 91); ref. 3677] Atlantic, 13°46' [or 47']N, 61°26'W, Dana Station 1183, depth about 2250 meters (4500 meters wire out). Current status: Valid as Gigantactis gracilicauda Regan 1925. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Atlantic. Habitat: marine. (sexfilis) [Dana Report No. 2; ref. 3682] Atlantic, 13°07'N, 57°20'W, Dana station 1181, depth about 2000 meters (4000 meters wire out). Current status: Synonym of Gigantactis gracilicauda Regan 1925. Gigantactinidae. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis herwigi Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis herwigi Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:49, Figs. 4G, 50-51] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] South Atlantic, 4°43'S, 26°39'W, Walther Herwig station 17/68, depth 0-2000 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis herwigi Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Atlantic. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis ios Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis ios Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:56, Figs. 59, 67] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] Northeastern Atlantic, southwest of Madeira, 29°49'N, 23°00'W, Discovery station 7856-48, depth 1005-1250 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis ios Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Eastern North Atlantic. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis kreffti Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis kreffti Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:29, Figs. 4D, 27-29] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] Southeastern Atlantic, 39°19'S, 3°15'W, Walther Herwig station 406/71, depth 0-2000 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis kreffti Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: South Africa, off Japan and Tasmania (5 specimens). Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis longicauda Bertelsen & Pietsch, 2002 [=Gigantactis longicauda Bertelsen [E.] & Pietsch [T. W.] 2002:958, Figs. 1-2] Notes: [Copeia 2002 (no. 4); ref. 26506] Western North Atlantic, 23°46'N, 58°59'W, depth 500-1200 to 0 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis longicauda Bertelsen & Pietsch 2002. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Western North Atlantic (1 specimen). Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis longicirra Waterman, 1939 [=Gigantactis longicirra Waterman [T. H.] 1939:82, Figs. 1-2] Notes: [Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology v. 85 (no. 3); ref. 17229] Western North Atlantic, 39°06'N, 70°16'W, Atlantis station 2894, closing net at 1000 meters, bottom depth 2860 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis longicirra Waterman 1939. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Atlantic and eastern central Pacific. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis macronema Regan, 1925 [=Gigantactis macronema Regan [C. T.] 1925:565] Notes: [Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 9) v. 15 (no. 91); ref. 3677] Central North Atlantic, 31°47'N, 41°41'W, Dana station 1365, depth about 2500 meters, 5000 meters wire out. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis macronema Regan 1925. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Atlantic; North Pacific Ocean, including Hawaiian Islands. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis meadi Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis meadi Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:33, Figs. 4B, 18, 20, 23, 32-33] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] Southwestern Indian Ocean, Anton Bruun station 352A, 34°14'S, 64°56'E [or 33°53'S, 64°55'E], depth 0 to 350 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis meadi Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Circumglobal in Southern Hemisphere. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis microdontis Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis microdontis Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:54, Figs. 56-58] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] Southeastern Pacific off Peru, 15°12'S, 75°44'W, Anton Bruun station 739B, depth 0-700 meters over bottom depth of 1060 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis microdontis Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Central and eastern Pacific: Hawaiian Islands, Oregon and California (U.S.A.), Peru. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis microphthalmus (Regan & Trewavas, 1932) [=Teleotrema microphthalmus Regan [C. T.] & Trewavas [E.] 1932:93, Fig. 149] Notes: [Dana Report No. 2; ref. 3682] Eastern tropical Atlantic, 8°26'N, 15°11'W, Dana station 4003, depth about 2500 meters (5000 meters of wire out). Current status: Valid as Gigantactis microphthalmus (Regan & Trewavas 1932). Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Eastern Tropical Atlantic. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis paxtoni Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis paxtoni Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:39, Figs. 36-38] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] 100 kilometers east of Broken Bay, New South Wales, Australia, 33°28'S, 152°33'E, depth 0-900 meters (over bottom depth of 4200 meters). Current status: Valid as Gigantactis paxtoni Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific (scattered localities). Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis perlatus Beebe & Crane, 1947 [=Gigantactis perlatus Beebe [W.] & Crane [J.] 1947:167, Pl. 2 (fig. 3); Fig. 13] Notes: [Zoologica, Scientific Contributions of the New York Zoological Society v. 31 (pt 4, no. 11); ref. 6539] 11 miles southwest by west of Jicaron Island, Panama [eastern Pacific], 7°08'N, 81°57'W, depth 0 to 500 fathoms [915 meters]. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis perlatus Beebe & Crane 1947. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Circumglobal in tropical and subtropical seas, including Hawaiian Islands. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis savagei Bertelsen et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis savagei Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:53, Figs. 54-55] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] Eastern North Pacific, Cortez Bank, 31°40'N, 120°23'W, depth 0-650 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis savagei Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: North Pacific: Hawaiian Islands to southern California (U.S.A.) and Baja California. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis vanhoeffeni Brauer, 1902 [=Gigantactis vanhoeffeni Brauer [A.] 1902:296, Gigantactis exodon Regan [C. T.] & Trewavas [E.] 1932:94, Pl. 5 (fig. 1); Fig. 151] Notes: [Zoologischer Anzeiger v. 25 (no. 668); ref. 631] East of Zanzibar, 5°42'S, 43°36'E, Tanzania, western Indian Ocean, Valdivia station 239, depth 0 to 2500 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis vanhoeffeni Brauer 1902. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Circumglobal, in all oceans. Habitat: marine. (exodon) [Dana Report No. 2; ref. 3682] Caribbean Sea, 18°50'N, 79°07'W, Dana station 1217, depth about 1250 meters (2500 meters wire out). Current status: Synonym of Gigantactis vanhoeffeni Brauer 1902. Gigantactinidae. Habitat: marine.

Species Gigantactis watermani Bertelsen, et al., 1981 [=Gigantactis watermani Bertelsen [E.], Pietsch [T. W.] & Lavenberg [R. J.] 1981:49, Figs. 47-49] Notes: [Contributions in Science (Los Angeles) No. 332; ref. 5330] Eastern tropical Atlantic, 1°04'N, 18°22'W, Walther Herwig station 478/71, depth 0-2100 meters. Current status: Valid as Gigantactis watermani Bertelsen, Pietsch & Lavenberg 1981. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Eastern Atlantic and western Pacific. Habitat: marine.

GENUS Rhynchactis Regan, 1925 [=Rhynchactis Regan [C. T.] 1925:565] Notes: [Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 9) v. 15 (no. 91); ref. 3677] Fem. Rhynchactis leptonema Regan 1925. Type by monotypy. •Valid as Rhynchactis Regan 1925 -- (Bertelsen et al. 1981:63 [ref. 5330], Bertelsen & Pietsch 1998:583 [ref. 23417], Pietsch 1999:2036 [ref. 24766], Anderson & Leslie 2001:22 [ref. 26165], Bertelsen & Pietsch 2002:958 [ref. 26506], Pietsch 2003:1068 [ref. 27014], Pietsch 2009:475 [ref. 30766], Fricke et al. 2018:92 [ref. 35805]). Current status: Valid as Rhynchactis Regan 1925. Gigantactinidae.

Species Rhynchactis leptonema Regan, 1925 [=Rhynchactis leptonema Regan [C. T.] 1925:566] Notes: [Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 9) v. 15 (no. 91); ref. 3677] Western central Atlantic, 8°19'N, 44°35'W, depth about 1500 meters [3000 meters of wire out]. Current status: Valid as Rhynchactis leptonema Regan 1925. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Western central Atlantic; Hawaiian Islands; off Taiwan. Habitat: marine.

Species Rhynchactis macrothrix Bertelsen & Pietsch, 1998 [=Rhynchactis macrothrix Bertelsen [E.] & Pietsch [T. W.] 1998:587, Figs. 2-4] Notes: [Copeia 1998 (no. 3); ref. 23417] Central Atlantic, 7°55'N, 32°41'W, depth 0-2000 meters, bottom depth 4840 meters. Current status: Valid as Rhynchactis macrothrix Bertelsen & Pietsch 1998. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Atlantic and southwestern Indian Ocean. Habitat: marine.

Species Rhynchactis microthrix Bertelsen & Pietsch, 1998 [=Rhynchactis microthrix Bertelsen [E.] & Pietsch [T. W.] 1998:588, Figs. 5-7] Notes: [Copeia 1998 (no. 3); ref. 23417] Western Indian Ocean, 0°14'S, 65°03'E, Anton Bruun Cruise 6, station 337B, depth 0-2250 meters. Current status: Valid as Rhynchactis microthrix Bertelsen & Pietsch 1998. Gigantactinidae. Distribution: Western Indian Ocean (1 specimen). Habitat: marine.

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Unavailable names, uncertain taxa filibulbosus, Gigantactis Fraser-Brunner [A.] 1935:326, Fig. 5 [Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy Section B Biological Geological and Chemical Science v. 42; ref. 1491] North Atlantic, Irish Atlantic Slope, 53°15'N, 12°28'W, depth 0-320 meters. Holotype (unique): BMNH 1934.8.8.92. Males unknown. •Status uncertain -- (Bertelsen et al. 1981:57 [ref. 5330], Bertelsen in Whitehead et al. 1986:1406 [ref. 13677]). •Nomen dubium in Gigantactis -- (Pietsch 2009:472 [ref. 30766]). Gigantactinidae. Habitat: marine. liparis, Laevoceratias Parr [A. E.] 1927:33, Fig. 13 [Bulletin of the Bingham Oceanographic Collection Yale University v. 3 (art. 1); ref. 3366] Off Cat Island, Bahamas, 24°11'N, 75°37'W, 8000 feet [2400 meters] wire out. Holotype (unique): YPM 2013. Type catalog: Moore & Boardman 1991:12 [ref. 16741] with genus as Laevoceratius. •As Gigantactis male group I -- (Pietsch 2009:473 [ref. 30766]). Gigantactinidae. Habitat: marine. ovifer, Gigantactis Regan [C. T.] & Trewavas [E.] 1932:95, Fig. 152 [Dana Report No. 2; ref. 3682] South China Sea, 14°37'N, 119°52'E, Dana station 3731, depth about 1250 meters (2500 meters wire out). Holotype (unique): ZMUC P92131. Type catalog: Nielsen 1974:98 [ref. 9588]. Males unknown. •Status uncertain -- (Bertelsen et al. 1981:57 [ref. 5330]). •Nomen dubium in Gigantactis -- (Pietsch 2009:472 [ref. 30766]). Gigantactinidae. Distribution: South China Sea [if valid]. Habitat: marine.