Black seadevils are small, deep-sea lophiiform fish of the family Melanocetidae. The six known species are all within the genus Melanocetus. They are found in tropical to temperate waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and in the Pacific Oceans, as well as one other species endemic to the Ross Sea.

One of several anglerfish families, black seadevils are named for their intimidating appearance and dark skin. The humpback anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii) was featured on a 1995 cover of Time magazine and became a flagship species for deep sea fauna.

...