Linophryne lucifer Collett, 1886
Linophryne lucifer
photo by Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada

Family:  Linophrynidae (Leftvents)
Max. size:  2.9 cm SL (male/unsexed); 27.5 cm SL (female)
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 0 - 1000 m
Distribution:  North Atlantic, from off Iceland, and East and West Greenland; extending farther south from off Newfoundland to Madeira.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 3-3; Anal soft rays: 2-3. Metamorphosed females distinguished by the following characteristics: escal bulb with conical distal prolongation bearing short, stout filaments; posterior escal appendage small and conical; absence of additional escal appendages; barbel with single stem, divided distally into a pair of compressed pointed branches, each bearing a series of photophores on one edge and with a pair of short, simple lateral branches on distal half of stem, each with few photophores at distal tip; parasitic males with pointed sphenotic spines (Ref. 86949).
Biology:  Caught in high latitudes by commercial bottom trawls at about 300-600 m, with open pelagic trawls fished at maximum depth of 1000 m (Ref. 86949).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 04 February 2009 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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