Species: Chaunax stigmaeus, Redeye Gaper

Chaunax stigmaeus Fowler, 1946

Redeye Gaper

Body rounded, slightly compressed, tapering to a small, rounded tail; head large, globular, cuboid; eyes high on side of head, covered with a clear skin window; mouth large, strongly oblique to ~vertical; teeth small, slender, sharp; gill opening small; dorsal fin in 2 parts: 1st is a single spine modified as an angling lure in a scaleless, oval depression on snout, lure is a short stalk with a dense cluster of short threads like a short mop,2nd & 3rd spines not externally visible, snout cavity strongly concave; soft dorsal on rear of body, 10-12; anal fin 0, 7 (6-7); pectorals behind mid-body, 11-14; skin very loose, flaccid, covered with minute spine-like denticles, those fine and densely packed; single open lateral line from base of tail fin to head, there with prominent canals, & connections to branches under eye, to chin along lower side of body to over pectorals, main part on upper body with 29-42 pores, continues with 11 (10-13) on head.

Head & body dull olive brown, speckled with numerous small dark olive marks; back and sides with red blotches; underside of head and body with bright red and pink areas; area around mouth red; iris red; dorsal, tail and pectoral fins with red membranes and small dark olive marks anal fin red; snout cavity for lure dark brown or black; stalk of lure tan, with a black ring at top, thread cluster with black front & white rear.

Reaches 28 cm

On soft and hard bottoms

Depth range 90-658 m

NE USA to Cuba