Large-scaled lantern fish
| Large-scaled lantern fish | ||||||||||||
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Large-scale lantern fish ( Neoscopelus macrolepidotus ) |
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| Neoscopelus macrolepidotus | ||||||||||||
| Johnson , 1863 |
The large-scaled lanternfish ( Neoscopelus macrolepidotus ) is a deep-sea fish that is widespread in tropical and temperate areas of the Atlantic and Pacific. It only reaches the Indian Ocean on the Natal coast (South Africa) and in the eastern part of the Great Australian Bight . It is also found on the Atlantic coast of Europe, but is absent in the Mediterranean . It is quite common throughout the range.
features
The large-scaled lantern fish becomes 25 cm long. It has a pointed head, slightly concave at the top, with large eyes, deep, terminal clefts in the mouth - but only slightly behind the back of the eyes - and a short, stocky body that is flattened at the sides. An adipose fin is present. The sides of the head and body of the fish are dark red with a bluish tinge, the belly is silvery-white, the fins pink. The teeth are small. The scales are large and leaf-like. Luminous organs that emit a violet light are located on the sides of the abdomen and on the midline of the abdomen. The luminous organs sit there in small pores in front of each scale.
- Fin formula : dorsal 12–13, anal 12 (11–13), pectoral 18–19.
- Gill rays : 2 + 1 + (7) 8, total (10) 11 (12).
Way of life
The large-scale lantern fish lives oceanic and benthopelagic (in open water close to the sea floor) over continental slopes and island bases at depths of 300 to 1180 meters. There is no evidence that it makes vertical hikes in search of food . Nothing is known about the diet, eggs, larvae and juvenile fish stages are also unknown.
literature
- Kurt Fiedler: Textbook of Special Zoology, Volume II, Part 2: Fish , Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena, 1991, ISBN 3-334-00339-6
Web links
- Large Scaled Lantern Fish on Fishbase.org (English)
- Neoscopelus macrolepidotus at the Marine Species Identification Portal