Melanocetus polyactis Regan, 1925
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
Melanocetus polyactis is a species of black seadevil, a type of anglerfish. The fish is bathypelagic and has been found at depths ranging from 1,000 to 2,200 metres (3,300 to 7,200 ft). It is endemic to the Gulf of Panama.
Wikipedia contributors, Melanocetus polyactis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:09:50.372886+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Melanocetus polyactis Regan, 1925
- Name authority
- Regan, 1925
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Lophiiformes
- Family
- Melanocetidae
- Genus
- Melanocetus
- 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
- orderLophiiformes
- suborderCeratioidei
- familyMelanocetidae Gill, 1878
- genusMelanocetus Günther, 1864
- speciesMelanocetus polyactis Regan, 1925
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Melanocetus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Melanocetus eustalus Pietsch & Van Duzer, 1980 | MelanocetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanocetus niger Regan, 1925 | MelanocetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanocetus rossi Balushkin & Fedorov, 1981 | MelanocetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Humpback anglerfishMelanocetus johnsonii Günther, 1864 | MelanocetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Murray's abyssal anglerfishMelanocetus murrayi Günther, 1887 | MelanocetidaeChordata | 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.
- Regan, C. T. (1925). New ceratioid fishes from the N. Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Panama, collected by the ‘Dana.’. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (Ser. 9), 15(89):561–567. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222932508633247 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:3Z876. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.