Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes) >
Myctophidae (Lanternfishes)
Etymology: Diaphus: Greek, dis, dia = through + Greek, physa, phyo = to beget, to have as offspring (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 2999 m (Ref. 58018), usually 200 - ? m (Ref. 4479). Deep-water; 36°N - 49°S, 78°W - 180°E
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.8 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4479)
Eastern Atlantic: disjunct distribution from Morocco-Angola (gap in 17°N-11°N). Western Atlantic: USA to Brazil with isolated specimens to Argentina. Indian Ocean: equatorial waters and west of 70°E to 36°S in Agulhas Current. Indo-west-central Pacific: Southeast Asian seas and north to 8°N and eastwards to 126°W (Ref. 4775). South China Sea (Ref.74511).
Oceanic and mesopelagic, found between 425-750 m during the day and between 40-550 m at night (most abundant below 200 m at night) (Ref. 4066, 4775). There is size stratification with depth both day and night (Ref. 4775).
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.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00403 (-0.19930 - 0.20735), b=3.08745 (2.97390 - 3.20100), based on LWR estimates for this family-BS (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.0 ±0.00 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (33 of 100) .