Record #00511Nature archive
A mature male Photocorynus spiniceps anglerfish collected at about 1,425 m depth in the Philippine Sea measured only 6.2 mm, an exceptionally small documented sexually mature vertebrate.
Current Record
6.2mm
Current record value
This deep-sea anglerfish displays striking sexual dimorphism. Small males can attach to much larger females and become permanently associated with them in a form of sexual parasitism.
The specimen described by Theodore W. Pietsch in 2005 was a 6.2 mm male attached to a female roughly 46 mm long, with histological evidence of maturity. A single male specimen cannot be interpreted as the mean adult size of the species.
The record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: direct confirmation by an authority
Guinness and University of Washington reporting support a 6.2 mm histologically mature male specimen. This does not establish the smallest species by average adult size or mass. The 2005 publication date is not used as an assumed specimen collection date.
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
The record value on this page is organized from the public sources above. Measurement methods may differ; JiLuDB follows the unified method described for each entry.
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