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Frontal spines absent; lower jaw with a short symphysial spine; sphenotic, preopercular, and angular spines well developed, sharp, piercing skin; vomer with two pairs of teeth; each premaxilla with 16 teeth in 4 series (1 + 3 + 5 + 7), each dentary with 11 teeth in 3 series (2 + 4 + 5); posteriormost tooth of most series in development; longest dentary tooth (second tooth of first series) 18.6% SL; dorsal-fin rays 3; anal-fin rays 3; pectoral-fin rays 16 or 17.
Length of illicium 22% SL; stem of illicium and slightly oval escal bulb darkly pigmented; length of distal escal appendage 33.5% SL; distal escal prolongation and filaments unpigmented; cylindrical base of escal prolongation bearing three stout tapering filaments surrounding a more narrow continuation of base, again dividing into three somewhat shorter filaments; all filaments ending at about same distance from base of escal prolongation.
Total length of barbel 72% SL, undivided darkly pigmented stem 45% SL; distal third of unpigmented, rod-shaped central branch slightly expanded, containing a central opaque thread ending in two subdermal photophores; three blade-shaped branches at base about half as long, each bearing 8–10 sessile photophores along outer compressed edge.
Caudal peduncle covered with secondary subdermal pigment, obliterating eventual pattern of larval pigmentation.
Metamorphosed females of Linophryne sexfilis differ from those of all other species of the genus in the following details of escal and hyoid barbel morphology: escal bulb with a cylindrical distal prolongation, divided distally into six simple tapering filaments; posterior appendage tiny, papilliform; additional escal appendages absent. Barbel simple, undivided, bearing a distal tassel of appendages consisting of a simple, cylindrical, distally unpigmented and slightly expanded prolongation of primary stem of barbel, surrounded at base by three shorter, unpigmented, compressed, pointed branches, each bearing a series of sessile photophores along outer margin.
The single known specimen of Linophryne sexfilis was caught in the Eastern North Atlantic, northwest of the Canary Islands, in an open mid-water trawl fished at a maximum depth of 1250 m.
Pietsch TW. 2009. Oceanic Anglerfishes: Extraordinary Diversity in the Deep Sea. Berkley: University of California Press. 638 p.
Parasitized females have a single attached male, in contrast to the linophrynid genera Haplophryne and Borophryne (and the ceratiid genera Ceratias and Cryptopsaras) in which females with two or more males are known. In all known cases parasitized females of the family, the male is directed forward with respect to the female and attached in nearly the same position on the ventral midline of the female, somewhat in front of and below the sinistral anus; with only one or two exceptions, all are attached upside down with respect to the female. This is again in contrast to the linophrynid genera Haplophryne and Photocorynus (and the ceratiid genus Cryptopsaras) in which males may attach in any direction and almost anywhere on the head and body of the female. In all known examples, the males are attached by both upper and lower jaws, leaving prominent openings on each side that lead into their mouths and opercular cavities; there is no papilla of tissue projecting from the female into the mouth of the male.
Known from single metamorphosed female (38.5 mm).
DISCOVERY station 7856-50, North Atlantic, 30°04'N, 23°00'W, RMT 8, 1250–1000 m, 5 April 1972.
Holotype of Linophryne sexfilis: BMNH, 1976.11.4.1, 38.5 mm.
