Lophius litulon
| Lophius litulon | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Lophiiformes |
| Family: | Lophiidae |
| Genus: | Lophius |
| Species: | L. litulon |
| Binomial name | |
| Lophius litulon Jordan, 1902 | |
Lophius litulon (or the yellow goosefish) is a species of marine fish in the family Lophiidae native to Northwest Pacific Ocean. The species is a bottom dwelling predator that feeds primarily on fish and crustaceans. L. litulon is commercially harvested for food and marketed as monkfish.
Distribution and habitat
Lophius litulon occurs in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, including Japan, Korea, the Yellow Sea, and the East China Sea.[1] The species can be found on sandy muddy bottom of the sea floor.
Ecology
Lophius litulon is an opportunistic ambush predator that attracts prey with an angling apparatus in its mouth called in illicium.[2] The species feeds on both fish and crustaceans, with the silver croaker (Pennahia argentata) as the preferred prey.[2]
Reproduction and growth
The species demonstrates sexual dimorphism, with females growing faster and living longer than males. The maximum observed ages in yellow goosefish collected from the East China and Yellow sees between 1991 and 1996 was eight years for males and thirteen years for females.[3]
Seasonal changes in distribution indicates the species undergoes spawning migration.[4] In the winter, males are generally found in the East China Sea and females in the Yellow Sea. Spawning occurs in the spring, from February to May.
Fisheries and use as food
Lophius litulon is a commercially important food fish in East Asia. Its economic importance in fisheries off Shandong, China, has increased in recent decades.[5]
L. litulon is marketed as monkfish in the United States.[6]
References
- ↑ "Lophius litulon summary page". FishBase. Archived from the original on 2025-08-25. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- 1 2 Choi, Jung-Hwa; Sung, Bong-Jun; Lee, Dong-Woo; Kim, Jong-Bin; Oh, Taeck-Yun; Kim, Jung-Nyun (2011-12-31). "Feeding Habits of Yellow Goose Fish Lophius litulon and John Dory Zeus faber in the South Sea of Korea". Fisheries and aquatic sciences. 14 (4): 435–441. doi:10.5657/FAS.2011.0435. ISSN 2234-1749.
- ↑ Yoneda, Michio; Tokimura, Muneharu; Fujita, Hitoshi; Takeshita, Naohiko; Takeshita, Koji; Matsuyama, Michiya; Matsuura, Shuhei (1997). "Age and Growth of Anglerfish Lophius litulon in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea". Fisheries science. 63 (6): 887–892. doi:10.2331/fishsci.63.887. ISSN 0919-9268.
- ↑ Yoneda, Michio; Tokimura, Muneharu; Horikawa, Hiroshi; Yamamoto, Keisuke; Matsuyama, Michiya; Matsuura, Shuhei (2002). "Spawning migration of the anglerfish Lophius litulon in the East China and Yellow Seas". Fisheries science. 68 (sup1): 310–313. doi:10.2331/fishsci.68.sup1_310. ISSN 0919-9268.
- ↑ Zhang, Zhaopeng; Wang, Yuanchao; Liu, Shude; Liang, Cui; Xian, Weiwei (2022-02-08). "Assessing the Distribution and Sustainable Exploitation of Lophius litulon in Marine Areas Off Shandong, China". Frontiers in Marine Science. 9. doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.759591. ISSN 2296-7745.
- ↑ "Lophius litulon". FDA. 2026-08-12. Retrieved 2026-08-23.