Ogcocephalidae
| Ogcocephalidae Temporal range: 55.7-0 Ma | |
|---|---|
| Halieutaea stellata in Takeshima Aquarium, Japan | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Lophiiformes |
| Suborder: | Ogcocephaloidei Pietsch, 1984 |
| Family: | Ogcocephalidae D. S. Jordan, 1895 |
| Genera | |
|
see text | |
Ogcocephalidae is a family of anglerfish specifically adapted for a benthic lifestyle of crawling about on the seafloor. Ogcocephalid anglerfish are sometimes referred to as batfishes, deep-sea batfishes, handfishes, and seabats. They are found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. They are mostly found at depths between 200 and 3,000 m (660 and 9,840 ft), but have been recorded as deep as 4,000 m (13,000 ft). A few species live in much shallower coastal waters and, exceptionally, may enter river estuaries.