Gonichthys cocco
No common name
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes)
Myctophidae (Lanternfishes)
Gonichthys
Gonichthys cocco
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
Relatively slender and compressed, with a moderately large, subterminal mouth and an anal fin base much longer than dorsal fin base. Snout is projecting and acute. Jaws extend about 0.5 to 0.6 times eye diameter beyond posterior margin of orbit, and maxilla is not expanded posteriorly. Posterior opercular margin tapers to blunt angle below PLO. Gill rakers number 9 to 11. Dorsal fin originates posterior to pelvic fin base and has 11 or 12 rays. Pectoral fin extends beyond pelvic fin base and has 13 to 15 rays. Anal fin originates near end of dorsal fin base and has 20 to 23 rays. Dn and Vn are present on anterodorsal and anteroventral orbital margin respectively. PVO1, PVO2, and PO2 are in straight line. PLO is at upper end of pectoral fin base. Five PO are present. VLO is closer to pelvic fin base than to lateral line. Four VO are present. SAO form obtuse angle, with SAO1 approximately over VO2, and SAO3 over or slightly anterior to anal fin base and about its diameter below lateral line. Pol is about its diameter below lateral line. AOa number 4 to 8, and AOp number 10 to 14, with 5 to 7 over anal fin base. Two Prc are almost continuous with AOp.
Males have series of six or seven rounded luminous organs outlined in black forming supracaudal gland, and females have four to six separate oval patches forming infracaudal gland.
Distribution
Cape Cod to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical to sub-tropical waters, daytime depths range from 425 to 1,000 m, and nighttime depths range from the surface to 200 m for larger specimens and from 750 to 900 m for smaller specimens
Biology
Maximum known size is 60 mm SL
Maturity is reached at about 38 mm SL
Oceanic, found between 425-1,000 m during the day with maximum abundance at 425-650 m (Ref. 4479). Nyctoepipelagic from the surface to 175 m (Ref. 4479).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-07-10. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described
References
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.
Costa, F. (1991) Atlante dei pesci dei mari italiani. Gruppo Ugo Mursia Editore S.p.A. Milano, Italy. 438 p.
Goren, M. and B.S. Galil (2015) A checklist of the deep sea fishes of the Levant Sea, Mediterranean Sea. Zootaxa 3994(4):507-530. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3994.4.2
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