ICES considers several different units of anglerfish for assessment and management purposes:

1) Anglerfish in Division IIIa (Kattegat and Skagerrak), Subarea IV (North Sea), and Subarea VI (West of Scotland and Rockall) (Lophius piscatorius and L. budegassa) (covered by this profile);
2) Angler (L. piscatorius) and blackbellied angler (L. budegassa) in Divisions VIIb–k and VIIIa,b,d (Southern Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay);
3) Angler and blackbellied angler in Divisions VIIIc and IXa (Cantabrian Sea and Atlantic Iberian waters).

However, the boundaries between stocks are not based on biological criteria, according to studies carried out in genetic and morphometric analysis (Duarte et al., 2004 and Fariña et al., 2004 in ICES, 2014a). In the unit covered by this profile the two species: angler, or white anglerfish (L. piscatorius) and blackbellied angler (L. budegassa) are assessed and advised by ICES as a single assessment unit (ICES, 2014c). Angler (L. piscatorius) in Divisions IVa, Division VIa and Rockall might in fact extend into VII, V or IIa, although there is currently insufficient evidence to support an extension of the stock area (ICES, 2013).