Lophius piscatorius Linnaeus, 1758Angler fish
Lophius piscatorius is a bottom living fish recorded from shallow inshore waters to depths of 500 m. It is widely distributed along the European coast and is recorded from the Barent Sea to the Mediterranean and into the Black Sea. Spawning takes place between February and July. (Whitehead et al., 1986b). The body and head of Lophius piscatorius are depressed. Their mouths are wide containing strong jaws with curved teeth and the lower jaw projecting beyond the upper. Fleshy tendrils are present on the body and head with prominent bony spines. They can reach sizes of up to 2 m, but are usually not larger than 1 m (Whitehead et al., 1986b). During the present survey, Lophius piscatorius were observed lying on the seabed adjacent to the Sula Reef and the Galicia Bank, using their lures to attract prey. They showed no reaction to the presence of the camera. Lophius piscatorius are of commercial importance and are fished using tangle nets. They are also taken as by catch. There is more information available for this species in FishBase.
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