Diaphus taaningi
No common name
NS
GNR
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes)
Myctophidae (Lanternfishes)
Diaphus
Diaphus taaningi
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; moderately large mouth; dorsal and anal fin bases of about equal length; snout blunt; jaws extend 0.5 to 0.6 times eye diameter beyond posterior orbital margin; maxilla not expanded posteriorly; head 28.5% to 30.5% of SL; posterior opercular margin tapers to acute angle slightly above PLO; gill rakers number 19 to 23; dorsal fin originates over or slightly posterior to pelvic fin base and has 14 rays; pectoral fin extends to base of pelvic fin and has 11 rays; anal fin originates posterior to dorsal fin base and has 14 or 15 rays; Dn small, round, and directed forward; Vn elongate and extends from behind nasal rosette to anterior margin of pupil; PVO1, PVO2, and ?O1 in straight line; PLO closer to pectoral fin base than to lateral line; five PO present, and PO4 elevated; VLO midway between lateral line and pelvic fin base; five VO present and VO1, VO2, and VO3 progressively elevated; SAO usually form straight line, with SAO1 posterior to VO5, and SAO3 over anal fin base and 1.5 to 2 times its diameter below lateral line; Pol 1.5 to 2 times its diameter below lateral line; AOa number five or six, with first and last elevated; AOp number four to six, with first occasionally over but usually posterior to anal fin base; four Prc form slight curve, with Prc4 about 3 times its diameter below lateral line; roundish luminous scale located at PLO
Distribution
Cape Cod to Venezuela, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean; daytime depths range from 325 to 475 m, and nighttime depths range from 40 to 250 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 50 mm SL
Maturity is reached at about 40 mm SL
Pseudoceanic, found over continental shelves and slopes (Ref. 4066). Occurs between 325-475 m during the day; between 40-250 m at night (maximum abundance in 100 m depth). Mesopelagic (Ref. 5951). In the Cariaco Trench, day distribution is at 250 m and at night at 50 m due to anoxic conditions below 400 m and free hydrogen sulphide below 375 m. Fecundity is about 1,000 eggs per female (Ref. 9504).
IUCN Red List Status: Data Deficient (DD), assessed 2012-07-10. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
References
Nafpaktitis 1968
Nafpaktitis et al. 1977
Uyeno et al. 1983
Hulley 1986b
Gartner et al. 1987
Boschung 1992
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.
Baird, R.C., T.L. Hopkins and D.F. Wilson (1975) Diet and feeding chronology of Diaphus taaningi (Myctophidae) in the Cariaco Trench. Copeia 1975(2):356-65.
Geiger, S.P., J. Donnelly and J.J. Torres (2000) Effect of the receding ice-edge on the condition of mid-water fishes in the northwestern Weddell Sea: results from biochemical assays with notes on diet. Mar. Biol. 137(5-6):1091-1104.
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