Benthosema sp.

FamilyScientific NameAuthorYearCommon Name
MyctophidaeBenthosema sp.Goode and Bean1896Unspecified Lanternfish

Unique Characters: Two precaudal photophores. No photophores above lateral line. Anterior anal divided into 2 groups, anterior anal anterior and anterior anal posterior; Pol present. Mouth terminal, snout not projecting. Jaws short, extending less than 1/2 eye diameter behind orbit. PVO1-2 in a horizontal line. VO2 elevated. Prc2 high, from 1 to 2 photophore diameters below, or on, midlateral line. Teeth simple, never hooked.

Species in the Genus Benthosema:

Benthosema glaciale (Reinhardt 1837), Glacier Lanternfish
Diagnosis: dorsal finrays 13 (12-14); anal finrays 17-18 (19); pectoral finrays 11 (10); gillrakers 5 (6) + 1 + 12 (11-13), total 18 (17-20). AO 6 (5) + 6 (5-7), total 12 (11-13). Males with single black-bordered supracaudal gland; females with two infra-caudal luminous patches; occasional specimens with both. Size: to 103 mm.

Benthosema suborbitale (Gilbert 1913), Smallfin Lanternfish
Diagnosis: dorsal finrays 13 (12, rarely 14); anal finrays 17 (16-18); pectoral finrays 14 (13). Gillrakers 3 (rarely 4) + 1 + 10 (9, rarely 11), total 14 (13, rarely 15). AO 6 (5-7) + 5 (6), total 11 (12). Males with single supra-caudal gland; females with two luminous patches infra-caudally, coalescing with age to a single gland. Size: to 39 mm.

General Description and Locations of Photophores - Family Myctophidae
General Description and Locations of Photophores – Family Myctophidae

Similar Species: None.

References:

Craddock, J.E. and K.E. Hartel. 2002. Myctophidae. Lanternfishes. Pp 944-951. In The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 2: Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae to Grammatidae). K.E. Carpenter (ed.). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. Rome, Italy. pp. 601-1374.

Marine Species Identification Portal. Accessed at: http://species-identification.org/index.php.

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