Pitcairn Islands – 2010 – 2 Dollars – Deep Sea Fish Black SeaDevil (PROOF)

Description

Face Value Metal Fineness Weight Diameter Quality Mintage
2 Dollars Silver .925 1/2oz 35mm PROOF 1?000

Issue date: end August 2010

Black seadevils are small, deep-sea lophiiform fish comprising the family Melanocetidae. There are five known species (with only two given common names), all within the genus Melanocetus. They are found in tropical to temperate waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean, with one species known only from the Ross Sea.

One of several anglerfish families, black seadevils are named for their baleful appearance and typically pitch black skin. The family name Melanocetidae may be translated from the Greek melanos meaning black , and cetus meaning either whale or sea monster . The humpback anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii) was featured on the August 1995 issue of Time magazine, becoming something of a flagship species of deep-sea fauna.