Crocodile lantern fish
| Crocodile lantern fish | ||||||||||||
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Crocodile lantern fish ( Lampanyctus crocodilus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Lampanyctus crocodilus | ||||||||||||
| ( Risso , 1810) |
The crocodile lanternfish ( Lampanyctus crocodilus ) is a deep-sea fish that occurs in the North Atlantic between 33 ° and 65 ° north latitude and in the Mediterranean .
features
The crocodile lantern fish is 17 (Atlantic) or 20 to 30 cm (Mediterranean) long and is the largest species of lantern fish in the Mediterranean. It has a rounded, scaly head, with large eyes, deep, terminal mouth fissures and a long, laterally flattened body. An adipose fin is present. In front of you is a noticeable light spot. From other lantern fish, the crocodile-lantern fish differs primarily by the pattern of light organs and the small, right behind the gill covers that are available pectoral fins .
- Fin formula : dorsal (13) -14, anal 17 (16-18), pectoral 14 (13-15).
- Gill rays : 5 (rarely 4) + 1 + 11 (10-12), a total of 17 (16-18).
- Luminous organs along the ventral post- anal region (AO): 6 (7) + 8 (7-9), total 14 (13-16).
Way of life
The crocodile lantern fish lives oceanic and mesopelagic , during the day at depths of 100 to 1190 meters. In search of food, the animals undertake vertical hikes and sometimes rise up to 45 meters below the surface of the water at night. Crocodile lanternfish feed on zooplankton . Apparently the Mediterranean population spawns in spring and summer, the crocodile lanternfish in the Atlantic in autumn.
literature
- Kurt Fiedler: Textbook of Special Zoology, Volume II, Part 2: Fish , Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena, 1991, ISBN 3-334-00339-6
Web links
- Crocodile Lantern Fish on Fishbase.org (English)
- Lampanyctus crocodilus at the Marine Species Identification Portal