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Distal portion of distal escal appendage of 98-mm specimen torn off just above bifurcation and most skin of distal half of stem of illicium lost, leaving short remains of two filamentous illicial appendages; only one branch of distal escal appendage present in 86-mm specimen; a scar 21% SL above its base appears to represent position of lost branch; illicial appendages absent in 100-mm holotype and two smallest paratypes (30.5 and 38 mm); posterior escal appendage bifurcating at or near base, each branch bifurcating again in 30.5-mm paratype, each branch bifurcating once or twice in 38-mm specimen, primary branches simple in five largest specimens; except for distal tips, two branches of distal escal appendage of two smallest specimens appear nearly black due to strong pigmentation of wall of internal light-guiding structures, those of larger specimens unpigmented except for light dusky external pigmentation; posterior escal appendage and illicial appendages, when present, unpigmented; all escal appendages naked; small dermal spinules present on stem of illicium in five specimens (86–115 mm) and on base of escal bulb in four larger specimens (98–115 mm); except for a single spine on each pectoral lobe in 30.5 mm specimen, skin of two smallest specimens naked; holotype with 12–15 spines on each side of body, but none on pectoral lobes; four larger paratypes (86–155 mm) with about 30–35 spines including 2–5 on each pectoral lobe; papillae of snout and chin well developed in all specimens; color of holotype originally rather light with irregular, large patches of brown" (Maul 1961:98), but now completely bleached; skin of head and body of paratypes uniformly dark brown to black, without white or faintly pigmented patches; rays of all fins black except proximal part of median rays of caudal fin unpigmented in two smallest specimens; dorsal-fin rays 5; anal-fin rays 4; pectoral-fin rays 15–17."
Metamorphosed females of H. mauli differ from those of other species of the H. albinares-group in having the following combination of character states: length of illicium 56–87% SL; distal escal appendage bifurcated some distance from base (distance to bifurcation 7.1–22 % SL in specimens 38–155 mm); each primary branch simple, darkly pigmented in smallest specimens (30.5–38 mm), very faintly pigmented in larger specimens, its total length 35–40% SL in specimens 30–38 mm, 78–83% in specimens 86–155 mm; posterior escal appendage unpigmented, its length 3.5–13% SL; 0–5 posterolateral appendages on stem of illicium, longest appendage 0–6.3% SL; escal bulb and appendages without dermal spinules.
All known specimens of H. mauli were collected in the North Atlantic from off Iceland at 66°N and extending south to 25°N, including records from both sides of the ocean.
Demersal, meso- and bathypelagic. All known metamorphosed specimens have been caught in bottom trawls and open pelagic nets, five of them in maximum fishing depths of 400–750 m.
Pietsch TW. 2009. Oceanic Anglerfishes: Extraordinary Diversity in the Deep Sea. Berkley: University of California Press. 638 p.
Metamorphosed females of the H. albinares-group differ from those of the other species of the genus in having the following combination of character states: The distal light-guiding escal appendage is bifurcated at less than 1% SL to 32% SL above its base; each main branch is simple or with one to three bifurcations, its total length greater than the diameter of the escal bulb in specimens more than 30 mm, 8–52% SL in specimens 30–70 mm, 24–82% SL in larger specimens. A more-or-less distinct pair of posterolateral, distal swellings is present on the escal bulb. An anterior escal appendage is absent. The posterior escal appendage is divided near its base into two primary branches, each simple, or bifurcating distally once or twice. The total length of the posterior escal appendage is 3.5–23% SL, about as long as the distal escal appendage in smaller specimens, much shorter than the distal escal appendage in specimens greater than 70 mm. There are 0–9 posterolateral appendages on the stem of the illicium; the distal-most pair, when present, is located near the base of the escal bulb, just below the base of the posterior escal appendage, the longest 0–23% SL. Most species of the group have small dermal spinules on the stem of the illicium; in some species, the spinules extend onto the surface of the escal bulb and distal escal appendage. The papillae of the snout and chin are well developed (except in specimens less than about 40 mm). “White patches” of skin are present or absent. The caudal-fin rays are unpigmented distally, irregularly spotted proximally in juvenile specimens (less than about 50 mm), but darkly pigmented in larger specimens.
Maul GE. 1961. The ceratioid fishes in the collection of the Museu Municipal do Funchal (Melanocetidae, Himantolophidae, Oneirodidae, Linophrynidae). Bol Mus Mun Funchal 14(50):87–159.
Known from 20 metamorphosed females at 30.5 to 215 mm SL.
Off Camara de Lobos, Madeira, August 1925.
Holotype of Himantolophus mauli: MMF 18291, 100 mm SL.
Himantolophus mauli,The Eastern Atlantic Footballfish is a species of footballfish, a type of anglerfish. The fish is bathypelagic and has been found at depths ranging from 400 to 750 metres (1,310 to 2,460 ft). It is endemic to the eastern Atlantic Ocean.[1]
Himantolophus mauli,The Eastern Atlantic Footballfish is a species of footballfish, a type of anglerfish. The fish is bathypelagic and has been found at depths ranging from 400 to 750 metres (1,310 to 2,460 ft). It is endemic to the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
