Anglerfish  (Lophius piscatorius)

The various names for this fish - anglerfish, monkfish, goosefish - point to the fact that it has a very unconventional appearance, as indeed do all 24 members of this family of fishes. At first glance, it appears to be all head – and a head almost as wide as the whole fish is long - with the flattened body tapering sharply towards the tail. The skin is dark, rough and knobbly and has no scales. Despite its unappetising look, anglerfish are a commercial species, and considered good eating, although the tail is usually the only part of the fish displayed on most fishmongers’ slabs. Other notable features of this fish include an enormous, crescent-shaped mouth on the upper half of the body, and the presence of three long spines on the head between the eyes; the front spine is modified to act as a lure, bringing prey fish within reach of the anglerfish’s mouth. The dorsal and ventral fins are placed way back on the tail, and the two large limb-like pectoral fins have gill slits located directly behind them.