medusafish
Icichthys lockingtoni Jordan & Gilbert, 1880
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Icichthys lockingtoni, commonly known as the medusafish, is a species of centrolophid ray-finned fish native to the northern Pacific Ocean, where it ranges from Japan and the Gulf of Alaska to central Baja California in Mexico. It typically occurs at a depth of 0 to 91 m (0 to 299 ft), although it has been reported from as deep as 900 m (2953 ft). Young individuals of the species are abundant offshore, often in association with jellyfish in a symbiotic relationship that is likely commensal. The species reaches 46 cm (18.1 inches) in total length.
Wikipedia contributors, Icichthys lockingtoni; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:39:17.820551+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Icichthys lockingtoni Jordan & Gilbert, 1880
- Name authority
- Jordan & Gilbert, 1880
- Common name
- medusafish
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Scombriformes
- Family
- Centrolophidae
- Genus
- Icichthys
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderScombriformes
- familyCentrolophidae Bonaparte, 1846
- genusIcichthys Jordan & Gilbert, 1880
- speciesIcichthys lockingtoni Jordan & Gilbert, 1880
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Icichthys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| southern driftfishIcichthys australis Haedrich, 1966 | CentrolophidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Jordan, D. S., & Gilbert, C. H. (1880). Description of a new species of deep-water fish (Icichthys lockingtoni) from the coast of California. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, v. 3 (no. 154): 305–308. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.3-154.305 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3PB28. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.