Diaphus brachycephalus
No common name
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes)
Myctophidae (Lanternfishes)
Diaphus
Diaphus brachycephalus
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
Moderately deep bodied and compressed; moderately large mouth; dorsal and anal fin bases of about equal length; snout blunt; jaws extend 0.3 to 0.4 times eye diameter beyond posterior margin of orbit; maxilla not expanded posteriorly; head length 34% to 38% of SL; operculum angular posteriorly and rounded posterodorsally; gill rakers number 18 to 21; dorsal fin originates over pelvic fin base and has 12 or 13 rays; pectoral fin extends to or slightly beyond PO and has 10 to 12 rays; anal fin originates behind dorsal fin base and has 13 or 14 rays; Dn small, round, and directed forward; Vn about 1.5 times diameter of pupil and extends along anteroventral and ventral margin of eye; So small, round, immediately posterior to Vn, and below posterior margin of pupil; PVO1-2 and POj in straight line; PLO closer to pectoral fin base than to lateral line; 5 PO present, with PO4 elevated; VLO closer to pelvic fin base than to lateral line; 5 VO present, with VO1-3 progressively elevated; SAO form straight to nearly straight line, with SAO1 slightly behind VO5, and SAO3 over anal fin base and 3 times its diameter below lateral line; Pol about 2 times its diameter below lateral line; AOa number four to six, with AOa1 often slightly raised and AOa5 raised; AOp number three to five and are located behind anal fin base; 4 Prc form ascending arc, with Prc4 2 to 3 times its diameter below lateral line
Distribution
Cape Cod to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Gulf of Mexico (uncommon)
Habitat Associations
Tropical to subtropical waters; daytime depths range from 175 to 550 m, and nighttime depths range from the surface to 300 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 60 mm SL
Maturity is reached at about 30 mm SL
High-oceanic (Ref. 4479). Mesopelagic (Ref. 58302). Found between 175-550 m during the day and near the surface to about 225 m at night (Ref. 4066, 58302). Large males partially or non-migratory (Ref. 4066). Exhibits dwarfing in minimum region off Brazil with a maximum length of about 3.6 cm SL and sexual maturity from about 2.7 cm SL (Ref. 4479).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-07-10. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
References
Nafpaktitis 1968
Nafpaktitis et al. 1977
Hulley 1984b
Hulley 1986b
Gartner et al. 1987
Hulley, P.A. (1986) Myctophidae. p. 282-321. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Hulley, P.A. (1990) Myctophidae. p. 398-467. 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.
Bogutskaya, N.G. (2007) Preliminary assignment of coordinates to type localities in the Catalog of Fishes. Unpublished dbf file.
Comments On Diaphus brachycephalus