Melanostomias melanops Brauer, 1902
photo by JAMARC

Family:  Stomiidae (Barbeled dragonfishes), subfamily: Melanostomiinae
Max. size:  26 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 350 - 1024 m
Distribution:  Atlantic Ocean: northern Atlantic between 35°N-8°N (not occurring in the southern Sargasso Sea), Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea; southwestern Atlantic between 10°S and 30°S. Also known from the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-13; Anal soft rays: 15-15. Body elongate and moderately slender. Short, blunt, non protrusible snout. Barbel has slender stem, flattened narrow distal tip. Black in color. Stem of barbel unpigmented except for the base, tip of barbel unpigmented or has irregular dark patches (Ref. 37039).
Biology:  Mesopelagic (Ref. 58302).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 01 July 2014 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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