Teleostei (teleosts) >
Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Oneirodidae (Dreamers)
Etymology: Dolopichthys: Greek, 'dolops' or 'dolopos' = ambusher + Greek, 'ichthys' = fish (meaning "a fish that attacks by surprise") (Ref. 86949).
Eponymy: The succession of Danish research vessels named ‘Dana’ seem to have been greatly favoured by describers of fish, and often the etymology includes: “…from which the holotype was collected. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Regan.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 600 - 2000 m (Ref. 86949). Deep-water
Atlantic Ocean: occurring from tropical to temperate waters.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.5 cm SL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal soft rays: 5 - 6. Metamorphosed females distinguished by the following characteristics: long illicium and unique escal morphology; escal bulb with 2 distally bifurcating papillae on dorsal midline, each darkly pigmented and well separated from each other; absence of connecting membrane between anterior and posterior filaments of posterior escal appendage; anterior filament of posterior appendage darkly pigmented in 75-mm specimen; teeth on lower jaw 53-260; teeth on vomer 0-3; dorsal fin rays 7; anal fin rays 5-6; pectoral fin rays 20-21; illicium length 43.9-75.3% SL (Ref. 86949).
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep.
Also mesopelagic (Ref. 10524).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Bertelsen, E., 1990. Oneirodidae. p. 498-507. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post, and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1. (Ref. 10524)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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