Teleostei (teleosts) > 
Perciformes/Zoarcoidei (Eelpouts and pricklebacks) > 
Zoarcidae (Eelpouts) > Gymnelinae						
							
							Etymology: Melanostigma: Greek, melan, -anos = black + Greek, stigma = signal (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Günther.						
					
				
					Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range					
						Ecology					
				
				
				
					Marine;  bathypelagic; depth range 44 - 2561 m (Ref. 6609). Deep-water; 30°S - 				
				 
			
			
			
				
				
				
					Circumglobal.
				
				
			
			
				
					Size / Weight / Age
				
				
				
					Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
 Max length : 29.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. )				
				 
			
			
						
				
					Short description					
					Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics					
				
				
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Mesopelagic (Ref. 75154).			
			 
			
			
			
				
					Life cycle and mating behavior					
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
				
				
				
								
				
			
			 
				
				
				
					Anderson, M.E., 1990. Zoarcidae. p. 256-276. In O. Gon and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Fishes of the Southern Ocean. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, South Africa. (Ref. 5197)
				
				 
			
			
			
							
					
						IUCN Red List Status   (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
				 
					
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Threat to humans  
				
				
				
					  Harmless				
				
			 
			
			
			
			
				
					Human uses  				
				
				
					Fisheries: bycatch				
				
				
			
			
						
			
			
			
				
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Special reports
 
				
			
			
			
				
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					Estimates based on models				
				
				
				Preferred temperature (Ref. 
123201): 1.9 - 8.7, mean 5.1 °C (based on 631 cells).
				
				
					
					Phylogenetic diversity index  (Ref. 
82804):  PD
50 = 0.5020   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].					
													Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00316 (0.00135 - 0.00739), b=3.15 (2.94 - 3.36), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 
93245).
					
					Trophic level  (Ref. 
69278):  3.2   ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives					
											
				
				
										
						Resilience  (Ref. 
120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).					
											
				
									
					Fishing Vulnerability  (Ref. 
59153):  Low vulnerability (19 of 100). 
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