Diaphus problematicus
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes)
Myctophidae (Lanternfishes)
Diaphus
Diaphus problematicus
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 slender and compressed; large mouth; dorsal and anal fin bases of about equal length; snout moderately blunt; jaws extend 1.2 to 1.5 times diameter of eye beyond posterior margin of orbit; maxilla not expanded posteriorly; head 26.5% to 30.5% of SL; posterior margin of operculum tapers to acute angle slightly above PLO; gill rakers number 13 or 14; dorsal fin originates slightly anterior to pelvic fin base and has 16 or 17 rays; pectoral fin fails to reach pelvic fin base and has 11 or 12 rays; anal fin originates under posterior section of dorsal fin base and has 16 to 18 rays; Dn small and heart-shaped; Vn triangular, located on anteroventral aspect of orbit, and connected to Dn by thin streak of luminous tissue; small luminous organ located dorsal and medial to Dn; PVO3, PVO2, and PO in straight line; PLO closer to base of pectoral fin than to lateral line; five PO present, and PO4 elevated; VLO closer to lateral line than to pelvic fin base; five VO present, with VO2, VO3, and VO1 progressively elevated; SAO form straight to nearly straight line, with SAO3 posterior to VO5, and SAO1 over origin of anal fin base and 1 to 1.5 times its diameter below lateral line; Pol 1 to 1.5 times its diameter below lateral line; AOa number six or seven, and first and last elevated; AOp number four to six, and first over anal fin base; four Prc form arc, and Prc4 1 to 1.5 times its diameter below lateral line; luminous scale located at PLO
Distribution
New Jersey to central Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Abundant in the southern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical waters; daytime depths range from 375 to 750 m, and nighttime depths range from 40 to 225 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 90 mm SL
Maturity is reached at about 68 to 74 mm SL
Oceanic species occurring between 375-750 m during the day and between 40-225 m at night.
Reach sexual maturity at 7,6 cm (Ref. 47377).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2015-02-26. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
References
Nafpaktitis 1968
Nafpaktitis et al. 1977
Uyeno et al. 1983
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.
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.
Hopkins, T.L., T.T. Sutton and T.M. Lancraft (1996) The trophic structure and predation impact of a low latitude midwater fish assemblage. Prog. Oceanog. 38:205-239.
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