Gigantactis

Gigantactis is a genus of deep-sea fish of the family Gigantactinidae, first described in 1902 by August Brauer. The species in this genus are poorly known and found in all oceans, at depths of 1,000–2,500 metres (3,300–8,200 ft). The most striking feature of these fish is extremely enlarged first filament of dorsal fin, called the illicium, with bioluminescent photophore at its end. (In G. longicauda the length of the illicium can be up to 3.3 times the standard length of the fish.) The genus name, Gigantactis, derives from the Greek, gigas (gigantic ) and aktis (ray), describing the genus by its long dorsal-fin spine which serves as a lure.

Gigantactis
Gigantactis gargantua
Gigantactis vanhoeffeni
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Gigantactinidae
Genus: Gigantactis
A. B. Brauer, 1902
Type species
Gigantactis vanhoeffeni
A. B. Brauer, 1902
Synonyms
  • Teleotrema Regan & Trewavas, 1932
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