Argyropelecus affinis
No common name
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GNR
Collection Details
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Stomiiformes
Sternoptychidae (Marine Hatchetfishes)
Argyropelecus
Argyropelecus affinis
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 moderately deep bodied, with a moderate-sized, vertical mouth and dorsally directed, tubular eyes. Jaws have relatively short, recurved teeth, with those of lower jaw slightly longer than those of upper jaw. Gill rakers on first arch number 18 to 20. Branchiostegal rays number 10, with 3 on epihyal. Upper preopercular spine is short, extending slightly beyond edge of preoperculum. Lower preopercular spine is long and curves anteriorly in adults. Dorsal blade is low (height is less than one-third length), is derived from seven dorsal fin radials, and exposed parts of posterior two radials are fused. Abdominal keel is shallow. Postabdominal spines are short and of equal length. Spinelets are absent along anterior margin of dorsal blade and on ventral keel. Pectoral fin has 10 to 12, dorsal fin has 9, pelvic fin has 6, and anal fin has 13 rays. Dorsal adipose fin is long based. ORB is pigmented and directed toward eye lens. BR number 6, and OP number 3. IP number 6, PV number 12, and VAV number 4. OA are in two groups of 2 and 6 photophores. AC are in two loose aggregations of 6 and 4 photophores. VAV and AC photophores are discrete (do not share common photogenic mass). Vertebrae number 38 to 40.
Color is dark on dorsal surface and silver on flank.
Distribution
Off the southeastern United States, in the northern Gulf of Mexico
In the northern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical to subtropical seas between 300 and 600 m
Biology
Food consists of copepods, ostracods, euphausiids, salps, and chaetognaths
Maximum known size is 72 mm SL
An oceanic and mesopelagic species (Ref. 4739, 58302), mainly at 300-650 m (Ref. 4054), 170-500 m at night and 350-600 m during day (Ref. 58302), commonly 1-600m (Ref. 035838). May make short diel migrations (Ref. 4739). Smaller individuals feed on copepods and ostracods; larger ones feed on euphausiids, salps and chaetognaths (Ref. 4739). Adult complement of photophores acquired at about 14 mm SL (Ref. 4739). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 35838).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Oviparous (Ref. 35838).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2014-07-15. Resilience: High (K=0.67).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
Schultz 1964
Bright and Pequegnat 1969
Baird 1971
Rass 1971
Murdy et al. 1983
Badcock 1984b
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.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 p.
Watson, W. (1996) Sternoptychidae: hatchetfishes. p. 268-283. In H.G. Moser (ed.) The early stages of fishes in the California Current Region. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Atlas No. 33. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 1505 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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