Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) >
Stomiidae (Barbeled dragonfishes) > Malacosteinae
Etymology: Photostomias: Greek, photos = light + greek, stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335); lucingens: Name from Latin 'lucis' for light and 'ingens' meaning ‘of remarkable size’, referring to the extreme size of the light-producing postorbital photophore in males.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic. Subtropical
Pacific: Lord Howe Rise to the East Pacific Rise in the South Pacific; the Philippines to the Hawaiian Arch.. Eastern South Atlantic (from 5°S to 23°S).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 80463)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 22 - 25; Anal soft rays: 26 - 30. This species differs from its congeners in having the following set of characters: male postorbital photophore (PO) large, 26.8-39.9% upper jaw length (UJL), in specimens greater than 60 mm (vs. small to moderate, 7.8-28.1% UJL, in all its congeners except P. atrox); female PO moderate, 10.3-15.0% UJL, in specimens greater than 60 mm (vs. small, 6.1-11.1% UJL, in P. tantillux and P. goodyeari); male AO small, 2.4-4.7% UJL, in specimens greater than 60 mm (vs. large, 4.9-9.6% UJL, in P. tantillux and P. atrox); three tooth patches positioned at posterior end of the first, second, and third basibranchials (vs. two basibranchial tooth patches in P. guernei); total dorsal- and anal-fin rays 49-55, rarely 47, 48, or 56 (vs. 57-63, rarely 56, in P. goodyeari); females maturing at a small size, approximately 60 mm (vs. greater than 100 mm in P. atrox and P. liemi) (Ref. 80463).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kenaley, C.P., 2009. Revision of Indo-Pacific species of the loosejaw dragonfish genus Photostomias (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Malacosteinae). Copeia 2009(1):175-189. (Ref. 80463)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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