Argyropelecus aculeatus
No common name
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Stomiiformes
Sternoptychidae (Marine Hatchetfishes)
Argyropelecus
Argyropelecus aculeatus
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Short and very deep bodied, with a moderate-sized, vertical mouth directed toward eye lens. BR number 6, and dorsally directed eyes. OP number 3. IP number 6, PV number 12, and VAV number 4. OA are in two groups of 2 and 6. AC are in two groups of 6 and 4. VAV, AC and AC photophores are compound (share common photogenic mass). Vertebrae number 35 or 36. Jaws have relatively large, recurved teeth, and lower jaw has two enlarged canine teeth. Gill rakers on first arch number 15 to 17. Branchiostegal rays number 10, with 3 on epihyal. Upper preopercular spine is short, extending slightly beyond posterior edge of preoperculum. Lower preopercular spine is short and curves ventrolaterally. Post-temporal spine is small. Dorsal blade is long and is derived from seven dorsal fin radials, with exposed parts of posterior two radials fused. Abdominal keel is well developed. Postabdominal spines are well developed. Posteroventrally directed postabdominal spine is larger than anteroventral spine. Mid-anterior projection of anteroventral post-abdominal spine extends to or near to anterior margin of posterior ventral keel scale. Spinelets are present along anterior five dorsal blade spines, dorsal rim of dorsal blade, and along ventral keel. Pectoral fin has 9 or 10, dorsal fin has 9, pelvic fin has 6, and anal fin has 7 anterior and 5 posterior fin rays. Dorsal adipose fin is present.
Color is dark on dorsal surface and silvery on flank.
Distribution
Along the eastern seaboard of the United States to southern Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Habitat Associations
Mesopelagic waters between 100 and 600 m
Biology
Food consists of ostracods, copepods, decapod larvae, and fish larvae, and feeding takes place at dusk
Maximum known size is 83 mm SL. Life span appears to be two years
An oceanic and mesopelagic species concentrated at 300-600 m by day and 100-300 by night (Refs. 4462, 4739). A selective dusk-time feeder mainly on conchoecid ostracods, to lesser extent on copepods, decapod larvae, fish larvae, etc (Ref. 4739). Adult photophore developing at about 15 mm SL (Ref. 4739). Also Ref. 58302.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2014-07-15. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from the other species of the family by the following combination of characters
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
Schultz 1964
Bright and Pequegnat 1969
Baird 1971
Baird 1986
Rass 1971
Murdy et al. 1983
Badcock 1984b
Howell and Krueger 1987
Weitzman, S.H. (1986) Sternoptychidae. p. 253-259. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Quéro, J.-C., J.C. Njock and M.M. de la Hoz (1990) Sternoptychidae. p. 275-282. 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.
Badcock, J. (1984) Sternoptychidae. p. 302-317. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. volume 1. UNESCO, Paris.
Hopkins, T.L. and R.C. Baird (1985) Feeding ecology of four hatchetfishes (Sternoptychidae) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Bull. Mar. Sci. 36(2):260-277.
Shinohara, G., H. Endo and K. Matsuura (1996) Deep-water fishes collected from the Pacific Coast of Northern Honshu, Japan. Mem. Natn. Sci. Mus., Tokyo (29):153-185.
Bernardes, R.Á., J.L. de Figueiredo, A.R. Rodrigues, L.G. Fischer, C.M. Vooren, M. Haimovici and C.L.D.B. Rossi-Wongtschowski (2005) Peixes de zona econômica exclusiva da região sudeste-sul do Brasil: Levantamento com armadilhas, pargueiras e rede de arrasto de fundo. São Paulo: Editora da Universidade de São Paulo. 295 p.
Patzner, R.A. (2008) Reproductive strategies of fish. pp. 311-350. In Rocha, M.J., A. Arukwe and B.G. Kapoor (eds). Fish reproduction: cytology, biology and ecology. Science Publisher, Inc. Oxford. 631 p.
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