FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL 79, NO. 3 



Basibranchials are represented by a single ossi- 

 fication in Chaunax (Figure 31), but are absent 

 in Antennarius , Tetrabrachium, Lophichthys, 

 Brachionichthys , and Dibranchus. 



Gill filaments are absent on arch I of Chaunax 

 and Dibranchus. Filaments are present as holo- 

 branchs on arch I of Antennarius, Tetrabrachium , 

 Lophichthys, and Brachionichthys , and on arches 

 II and III of all antennarioids examined. Hemi- 

 branchs are present on arch IV of all anten- 

 narioids examined (filaments may sometimes 

 be absent on arch IV of Dibranchus; Bradbury 

 1967:408). 



A small pseudobranch is present in Anten- 

 narius, but absent in all other antennarioids 

 examined. 



Vertebrae and caudal skeleton (Figures 12, 

 33-35). — The vertebral column of Antennarius, 

 Lophichthys, and Brachionichthys (Figures 33, 

 34A) is similar to that of Tetrabrachium (Figure 

 12) in having the neural spines of three to four 

 anterior vertebrae (preural centra 11-13 in Anten- 

 narius, Figure 33; 14-17 in Tetrabrachium, Figure 

 12; 12-14 in Lophichthys, Figure 34A; and 15-18 in 

 Brachionichthys) short (spatulate in all anten- 

 narioids examined except for Lophichthys, Chau- 

 nax, Dibranchus, and a few specialized anten- 



nariid genera, i.e., Echinophryne , Trichophryne , 

 and Rhycherus; see Appendix) and not interdigi- 

 tating with the corresponding proximal radials of 

 the overlying soft dorsal fin (this feature appears 

 to be plesiomorphic for the Lophiiformes being 

 more or less developed in nearly all taxa). 



In Chaunax (Figure 35A), the neural spines are 

 similar throughout the length of the axial skel- 

 eton. In Dibranchus (Figure 35B), the vertebral 

 column and caudal skeleton are strongly modified 

 for a benthic life-style. The neural and haemal 

 spines of all centra are short and broad. Preural 

 centra 14 through 18 are considerably more elon- 

 gate than the remaining centra; the neural spines 

 of these centra are expanded anteroposteriorly 

 and compressed laterally to form a solid bony 

 partition along the dorsal midline. Mobility in this 

 region of the axial skeleton is severely reduced 

 due to large, overlapping prezygapophyses (con- 

 siderable movement is retained, however, between 

 the two anteriormost centra, preural centra 18 

 and 19). 



In both specimens of Lophichthys examined a 

 peculiar bridging of bone is present between the 

 distal tips of the haemal spines of the 14th through 

 the 16th preural centra (Figure 34A). This kind of 

 ossification has not been described for any other 

 lophiiform. 



nth pre-ural 

 centrum 



Figure 3.3.— Vertebrae, caudal skeleton, and median fins of Antennarius sanguineus, LACM 8125, 76 mm SL. 



408 



