The Goosefish (Lophius americanus)

According to the Linnean system of taxonomic classification, L. americanus belongs to the following groups: Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata, Superclass Gnathostomata, Grade Teleostomi, Class Actinopterygii, Subclass Neopterygii, Infraclass Teleostei, Division Teleostei, Subdivision Euteleostei, Superorder Paracanthopterygii, Order Lophiiformes, Suborder Lophioidei, and Family Lophiidae (Nelson, 1994, pp. xv-241). For the most part, fish can be simply defined as "aquatic poikilotherm vertebrates that have gills throughout life and limbs, if any, in the shape of fins" (Nelson, 1976, pp. 1-161).

Goosefish belong to Class Actinopterygii, also known as the ray-finned fishes. The Order Lophiiformes consists generally of the anglerfishes. The 15 families and approximately 215 species of the order are all marine.

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o their own prey. Under most circumstances, Lophius americanus is very well camouflaged. It has a brownish coloration and darker mottling that may blend in with the sea bottom. In addition, its small flaps extending around the fishes' lower jaw, sides, and back tend to drift to and fro like seaweed. Although L. americanus' eyes stick out from the top of its head, their iris contains lines radiating from the pupil. These make the upward looking eyes appear similar to limpet shells (Feinberg, 1984, pp. 28-33). Lophius americanus' movable "fishing pole" device has a flap of flesh at the end which looks something like a flag (Nelson, 1976, pp. 161-162). The first three spines on top of the head are long, slender, and unconnected to each other. The flabby lure attracts prey to within reach of the animal's mouth. Typically, the fish will sit on the bottom in a self-made depression twitching its illicium. The lure's effectiveness is based both on its appearance and its action. The goosefish must wiggle its illicium in ways that simulate the swimming movements of some animal being mimicked (Pietsch & Grobecker, 1990, p. 99). Although goosefish tend to move slowly, they gulp food down very quickly (Herald, 1961, p. 282). Pa
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Pietsch Grobecker, Genus Lophius, August Females, Grobecker Pietsch, North Carolina, Class Actinopterygii, Likewise American, Goosefish Lophius, Lophiidae Nelson, United Regardless, feinberg 1984, 1984 pp, pp 28-33, feinberg 1984 pp, 1984 pp 28-33, lophius americanus, grobecker 1990, pietsch grobecker 1990, pietsch grobecker, nelson 1976, di silvestro 1994, york ny, pp 28-33 goosefish, lower jaw, 1976 pp,
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