Teleostei (teleosts) >
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) >
Stomiidae (Barbeled dragonfishes) > Melanostomiinae
Etymology: Melanostomias: Greek, melan, -anos = black + Greek, stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Regan & Trewavas.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 30 - 950 m (Ref. 2732). Deep-water; 45°N - 49°S, 98°W - 180°E
Eastern Atlantic: Madeira to Angola, but not known between Mauritania and Guinea. Western Atlantic: USA to Brazil including the Gulf of Mexico. Also known from the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 24.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 37039)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 16 - 17; Anal soft rays: 19 - 20. Body elongate and moderately slender. Short, blunt, non-protrusible snout. Long chin barbel bearing a nonterminal bulb. Barbel stem black, bulb and tentacle unpigmented (Ref. 37039).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Gibbs, R.H. and M.A. Barnett, 1990. Melanostomiidae. p. 308-337. 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. (Ref. 4468)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: bycatch
Tools
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