Family STEPHANOBERYCIDAE Gill 1884 (Pricklefishes)

Revised 10 Oct. 2025
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Abyssoberyx Merrett & Moore 2005 abyssos (ἄβυσσος), the deep sea, referring to the “great depth” from which it had been trawled (4480-4565 m); beryx, a beryciform fish

Abyssoberyx levisquamosus Merrett & Moore 2005 laevis (L.), smooth; squamosus (L.), scaly, referring to its smooth cycloid scales, unlike the spinoid scales of Acanthochaenus, Stephanoberyx and Hispidoberyx (now placed in its own family, Hispidoberycidae)

Acanthochaenus Gill 1884 acantho-, from ákantha (ἄκανθα), thorn; chaenus, from chaínō (χαίνω), gape or open mouth, presumably referring to “scales with spinous surfaces” and a “cavernous head”

Acanthochaenus luetkenii Gill 1884 patronym not identified, probably in honor of Danish zoologist Christian Frederik Lütken (1827–1901)

Malacosarcus Günther 1887 malakós (μαλακός), soft, probably referring to poor preservative state of holoype, “the structure of the bones, integuments, and muscles of the fish is so soft that we can scarcely hope ever to obtain a perfect animal”; arcus (L.), bow or arch, probably referring to arched dorsal profile, high near the head and “rapidly” lowering towards the tail

Malacosarcus macrostoma (Günther 1878) large-mouthed, from makrós (μaκρóς), long or large, and stóma (στόμα), mouth, referring to “very wide” cleft of mouth

Stephanoberyx Gill 1883 stéphanos (στέφανος), crown, presumably referring to an “inner U-shaped” osseus ridge on crown of head; beryx, a beryciform fish

Stephanoberyx monae Gill 1883 eponym not identified; per Jordan & Evermann (1896), in honor of Gill’s niece, Mona