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• Taxonomy
• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Habitat
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes
• Keep Exploring

Overview:

Family: Lanternfishes; High-oceanic species found between 600-800 m during the day and between 90-600 m at night (large specimens between 200 and 400 m) (Ref. 4479). Size stratification with depth at night (Ref. 4775). Epipelagic to mesopelagic (Ref. 31442). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and neustonic larvae (Ref. 31442).

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms:

1. Lampadena minima Tåning, 1928

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Group expert : Paxton J., Data last modified by FishBase 18-Aug-1994

Physical Description

Family Myctophidae:

Distribution: circumglobal. Below the adipose fin is a cartilaginous supporting plate. Some genera with small supramaxilla. Subocular shelf present. Anal fin origin below or slightly behind dorsal fin base. Head and body with groups and rows of small photophores; one species without. Scales cycloid; ctenoid in 4 species. Swim bladder usually present. Vertebrae 28-45. Heavily preyed upon by many marine fishes and mammals. Diurnal migration exhibited by many: most species with peak abundance between 300 and 1200 m by day and between 10 and 100 m at night.

The family Myctophidae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) and the Order Myctophiformes. It contains 32 genera and 235 species. It may be found in Marine environments and is primarily Marine. Members of this family are not used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is carangiform. Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be normal. Members of this family have been dated back to the Miocene epoch of the Tertiary period. Etymology of this family name: Greek, mykter, -eros = nose + Greek, ophis = serpent

Images:

Distribution

Range and Population

Eastern Atlantic Ocean, Indo-West Pacific, Western Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean: 40°N to 20°N; disjunct distribution between 30°N and about 14°N and between 8°S and 23°S in the eastern sector (recorded from 34°05'15''S, 16°00'45''E, Ref. 4066); also between 17°S and 28°S in the western sector. Indian Ocean: between 20°S and 30°S. Western Pacific: New Zealand^[1]. Central and northeast Pacific: between 35°N and 12°N.

Habitat

Biome

Saltwater. Bathypelagic.

Similar Species

Members of the genus Taaningichthys:

There are approximately 4 species and subspecies in this genus: T. bathyphilus · T. minima · T. minimus · T. paurolychnus

Bibliography

• Bianchi, G., K.E. Carpenter, J.-P. Roux, F.J. Molloy, D. Boyer and H.J. Boyer (1993). FAO species identification field guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of Namibia. FAO, Rome. 250 p.
• Brito, A. (1991). Catalogo de los pesces de las Islas Canarias. Francisco Lemus, la Laguna. 230 p.
• Hulley, P.A. (1984). Myctophidae. p. 429-483. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
• Hulley, P.A. (1986). Myctophidae. p. 282-321. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
• Hulley, P.A. (1990). Myctophidae. p. 398-467. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI; Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
• Masuda, H., K. Amaoka, C. Araga, T. Uyeno and T. Yoshino (1984). The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Vol. 1 (text). Tokai University Press, Tokyo, Japan. 437 p. (text), 370 pls.
• Moore, Jon A., Karsten E. Hartel, James E. Craddock, and John K. Galbraith 2003. An annotated list of deepwater fishes from off the New England region, with new area records. Northeastern Naturalist, vol. 10, no. 2. 159-248.
• Moser, H.G. and E.H. Ahlstrom (1996). Myctophidae: lanternfishes. p. 387-475. In H.G. Moser (ed.) The early stages of fishes in the California Current region. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Atlas No. 33. 1505p.
• Nakabo, T. (2002). Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species, English edition I. Tokai University Press, Japan.
• Paulin, C., A. Stewart, C. Roberts and P. McMillan (1989). New Zealand fish: a complete guide. National Museum of New Zealand Miscellaneous Series No. 19. 279 p.
• Tinker, S.W. (1978). Fishes of Hawaii, a handbook of the marine fishes of Hawaii and the Central Pacific Ocean. Hawaiian Service Inc., Honolulu. 568 p.

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Notes

Contributors:

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed October 10, 2006.
• FishBase
• FishBase 2006.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 05, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 6 providers.
• Paxton, John (from FishBase).

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 05, 2008:

• Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum: Bishop Museum Natural History Specimen Data
• FishBase: FishBase DiGIR Provider - Philippine Server
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Atlantic Reference Centre (OBIS Canada)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Bishop Museum Data (OBIS distribution) (USOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: iziko South African Museum - Fish Collection
• Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History: Vertebrate specimens
• Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University: MCZ Fish Collection
• Royal Ontario Museum: Fish specimens

Identifiers:

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 162742
• Fishbase Species ID: 7419
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 112861
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 126260

Footnotes:

1. Paulin, C., A. Stewart, C. Roberts and P. McMillan (1989). New Zealand fish: a complete guide. National Museum of New Zealand Miscellaneous Series No. 19. 279 p.