Of 18 families belonging to 5 suborders, early life stages only of Lophiidae and Antennariidae well known. Larvae of meso- and bathypelagic ceratioid families poorly known (Bertelsen, 1984).
Families treated:
Family Antennariidae (frogfishes)
Family Lophiidae (goosefishes or monkfishes)
Family Ogcocephalidae (batfishes)
Suborder Ceratioidei (deepsea anglerfishes)
Family Ceratidae (seadevils)
Family Gigantactinidae (whipnoses)
Family Himantolophidae (footballfishes)
Family Linophrynidae (linophrynids)
Family Melanocetidae (melanocetids)
Family Oneirodidae (dreamers)
Table Lophiiformes
22 geographic zones