Melamphaes typhlops
No common name
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Melamphaidae (Ridgeheads)
Melamphaes
Melamphaes typhlops
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
Oblong, subcylindrical body; smooth head; moderately long dorsal fin; margins of head ridges not expanded; spine lacking in front of eye; teeth in upper jaw in band 6-7 teeth wide, in lower jaw 4-7 teeth wide; gill rakers on first arch short and slender, 3-4 on epibranch and 11-12 on lower limb; supramaxilla well developed; head length 33-36% SL, upper jaw length 16-17% SL, predorsal length 40-41% SL, caudal peduncle length 21-25% SL, caudal peduncle depth 10-12% SL; pectoral fin with 14-16 rays; dorsal fin with 3 slender spines and 14-15 rays; pelvic fin inserts behind pectoral fin insertion, with 1 spine and 7 rays; anal fin originates posterior to last dorsal fin ray, with 1 spine and 8 rays; scales in lateral series 29-32, in diagonal series 8; cheek scales 2; vertebrae 25-27
Dark brown to black
Distribution
Western Atlantic from Bermuda and eastern coast of United States to Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Mesopelagic to bathypelagic depths in tropical to warm temperate waters; adults below 500-600 m, juveniles below 150 m, postlarvae up to 50 m below surface
Biology
Maximum known size 100 mm SL
Adults found at depths below 500 - 600 meters; juveniles below 50 meters (Ref. 51657).
IUCN Red List Status: Data Deficient (DD), assessed 2014-07-15. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by combination of characters
References
Grey 1959 (as M. microps)
Ebeling 1962
Ebeling and Weed 1973
Murdy et al. 1983
Maul 1986c
Maul, G.E. (1979) Melamphaidae. p. 343-346. In J.C. Hureau and Th. Monod (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and of the Mediterranean (CLOFNAM). UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
Maul, G.E. (1990) Melamphaidae. p. 612-618. 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. 2.
Cohen, D.M., A.W. Ebeling, T. Iwamoto, S.B. McDowell, N.B. Marshall, D.E. Rosen, P. Sonoda, W.H. Weed III and L.P. Woods (1973) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Part six. New Haven, Sears Found. Mar. Res., Yale Univ.
Comments On Melamphaes typhlops