Editing Cetomimoidea (section)

==Description==
Named after their whale-shaped body (from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''ketos'' meaning "whale" or "sea monster", ''mimos'' meaning "imitative" and the [[Latin]] ''forma'' meaning "form"), the Cetomimiformes have extremely large mouths and highly distensible stomachs. Their eyes are very small or vestigial; the [[lateral line]] (composed of huge, hollow tubes) is consequently very well developed to compensate for life in the pitch black depths.

The dorsal and [[anal fins]] are set far back; all fins lack spines. The [[swim bladder]] is also absent, except in the [[larva]]e and [[Juvenile (organism)|juveniles]] which occur in the surface waters.<ref name = paxtonetal2001>Paxton ''et al.'' (2001)</ref> Whalefish coloration is typically red to orange, sometimes with a black body. Some species possess light-producing organs called [[photophore]]s; these are widespread among deep-sea fishes.

The largest known species reach a length of just 40 centimetres; most species are half this size. [[Sexual dimorphism]] is (apparently) exceptionally strong: males may only grow to 3.5 centimetres while females may be ten times as large. This is not uncommon among deep-sea fishes, with the males serving little use other than as suppliers of sperm: an even more extreme case are the [[parasitic]] males in deep-sea [[anglerfish]].