Lobianchia gemellarii
No common name
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes)
Myctophidae (Lanternfishes)
Lobianchia
Lobianchia gemellarii
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.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page.
Learn more about our species accounts.
Characters
Moderately slender and compressed, with a very large mouth and a dorsal fin base slightly longer than anal fin base. Snout is blunt. Jaws extend 1.3 to 1.5 times eye diameter beyond posterior orbital margin, and maxilla is slightly expanded posteriorly. Posterior margin of operculum tapers to acute angle above PLO. Gill rakers number 15 to 21. Dorsal fin originates slightly anterior to pelvic fin base and has 17 or 18 rays. Pectoral fin extends to PO and has 11 or 12 rays. Anal fin originates slightly anterior to end of dorsal fin base and has 13 to 15 rays. Dn is small and inconspicuous. PVOj and PVO are in straight line with VO. PLO is slightly closer to pectoral fin base than to lateral line. Five PO are present, with PO elevated and behind PO. VLO is closer to pelvic fin base than to lateral line. Five VO are present, with VO, VO, and VO progressively elevated. SAO form straight line with last VO, and SAO3 is slightly closer to lateral line than to anal fin base. Single Pol is anterior to end of anal fin base, continuous with last AOa, and midway between lateral line and anal fin base. AOa number five or six, with last one or two elevated. AOp number six, with first usually behind anal fin base. Four Prc are evenly spaced and well below lateral line. Males have supracaudal luminous gland consisting of six scalelike structures flanked by five pairs of triangular luminous structures. Females have infracaudal luminous glands consisting of two heart-shaped structures flanked by two pairs of triangular luminous structures.
Distribution
Cape Cod to Uruguay, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical to sub-tropical waters, daytime depths range from 300 to 800 m, and nighttime depths range from 25 to 300 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 60 mm SL
Maturity is reached at about 40 to 45 mm SL
High-oceanic and mesopelagic (Ref. 4066), found between 300-800 m during the day and between 25-100 m (juveniles 14-22 mm) and 200-300 (adults 50-56 mm) at night (Ref. 4479). Size stratification with depth both day and night (Ref. 4775). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 31442). Reach sexual maturity between 40 and 45 cm (Ref. 47377). Also Ref. 58302.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-07-11. 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.
Wang, J.T.-M. and C.-T. Chen (2001) A review of lanternfishes (Families: Myctophidae and Neoscopelidae) and their distributions around Taiwan and the Tungsha islands with notes on seventeen new records. Zool. Stud. 40(2):103-126.
Comments On Lobianchia gemellarii