Lophiidae

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Lophiidae (goosefish, angler; superorder Paracanthopterygii, order Lophiiformes) A small family of marine fish that have a huge, wide, flattened head, an enormous mouth whose lower jaw is longer than the upper, and eyes placed almost on top of the head. The fins are short and truncate. The goosefish are bottom-dwelling, and lure prospective prey by means of the movable first dorsal fin ray, which is provided with an illicium. Found at depths of 100–1000 m, Lophius piscatorius (European angler) can reach a length of 1.7 m. Encountered regularly by commercial fishermen, the annual catch is of the order of 30 000 tonnes. Lophius americanus (goosefish) of the western Atlantic is slightly smaller. There are at least 12 species, with world-wide distribution but absent from the eastern Pacific.