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Breathing

Fish of the family Chaunacidae have been shown to have slow ventilatory cycles in which the fish exhales 20-30% of their body volume of water. Upon inhalation, Chaunacidae can endure long periods of time maintaining a fully inflated gill chamber, sometimes up to 245 seconds which confers many potential advantages for fish of this family. Chaunacidae have been found to contain a specialized apparatus containing adductor muscles that can maintain its ventilatory cycle, and control the volume of water entering and exiting. These muscles are cross-hatched, and function to not only inhale and exhale, but to prevent any leakage out of the gills.

Due to the high-volume and slow ventilatory cycle, Chaunacidae are able to be majorly energy efficient as it requires less energy to push water across the surface of their gills. Because of this, Chaunacidae are able to go without prey for long periods of time, and remain mostly sedentary.

There are many other hypotheses of advantages conferred by the breathing cycle of Chaunacidae. Due to the long periods of high-volume inhalation, Chaunacidae makes little disturbance of lateral line systems, allowing for better hunting and avoidance of predators. In addition, the maximally filled mouth of the Chaunacidae is often intimidating to predators, making it a defense mechanism that the fish can use much like the Pufferfish (hyperlink here).

Diet

Chaunacidae are known to be mostly sedentary fish, and spend most of their time dormant on the seafloor. Because of their energy efficient way of ventilation, Chaunacidae are able to go long periods of time with little food. In a diet study, Chaunax fimbriatus was found to contain a stomach that contained many different prey, showing that Chaunacidae are opportunistic hunters that will eat most anything it can on the seafloor.

Chaunacidae are also steady hunters, as they are able to maintain relatively low movement. Due to their gill chambers, Chaunacidae are able to remain still enough until their prey is within distance.

Taxonomy

Chaunacidae are a family of fish that arise from the order Lophiiformes and of the class Actinopterygii. Chaunacidae contain the genera of both Chaunacops and Chaunax.

Introduction

The sea toads and coffinfishes are a family of deep-sea anglerfishes known as the Chaunacidae.

These are bottom-dwelling fishes found on the continental slopes of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, at depths to at least 2,460 m (8,070 ft). There have also been findings of deep-sea anglerfishes off the coasts of Australia and New Caledonia. Other findings suggest some genera of Chaunacidae can be found near volcanic slopes encrusted with manganese. Of the two genera in the family, Chaunacops typically occurs at deeper depths than Chaunax, but with considerable overlap.

They have large, globose bodies and short, compressed tails, and are covered with small, spiny scales. The largest are about 30 cm (12 in) in length. During their gill ventilatory cycle, Chaunacidaeare able to take in high volumes of water using adductor muscles, increasing their total body volume by 30%. The first dorsal fin ray is modified into a short bioluminescent lure which dangles forward over the mouth, which is turned upwards so as to be nearly vertical. Chaunax have modified fins which resemble legs. It was also found that they use these modified pelvic fins to assist with maneuvering their swimming, especially when as an escape response.

Sea toads are mostly sedentary fish, and rely on a more opportunistic way of hunting where they prey on anything within reach. The sensory canals of the lateral lines are especially conspicuous, and confers advantages in avoidance of predators and consumption of prey.