| Family | Scientific Name | Author | Year | Common Name |
| Myctophidae | Diaphus rafinesquii | (Cocco) | 1838 | Lightscale Lampfish |
All Diaphus Species: Three or more Prc (1 may be at or above lateral midline at base of caudal peduncle). Dn present; either 2 horizontal Pol near lateral line or VO1-3 on a straight ascending line with VO4-5 level. VO1-3 on a straight, inclined, ascending line with VO4-5 level; caudal glands absent; 1 Pol. More than 1 pair of luminous glands on head (Ant, Dn, Vn, or So); usually a luminous scale at PLO (FAO 2002).
Diaphus rafinesquii
Unique Characteristics: So present, completely separated from Vn, or connected to Vn by a strand of dark tissue. So slightly to markedly in advance of vertical through posterior margin of pupil; Vn elongate, but shorter than horizontal diameter of pupil, or small, rounded and about equal in size to So; luminous patch at PLO present (sometimes poorly defined or rubbed off). AOp well separated from Prc, distance between Prc1 and Prc3 equal to or usually shorter than AOp-Prc1 interspace; caudal-peduncle length equal to or slightly shorter than dorsal-fin base. Gill rakers 7-8 + 1 + 14-15 (rarely 13 or 16), total 22-24 (rarely 21 or 25); PLO patch large, its maximum length more than 2 times PLO diameter; posterodorsal margin of opercle broadly rounded and posteriorly truncate (FAO 2020).
Similar Species:
Diaphus bertelseni – Biglights Lampfish
Diaphus brachycephalus – Shorthead Lanternfish
Diaphus dumerilii – Disjunctlight Lanternfish
Diaphus fragilis – Fragile Headlightfish
Diaphus garmani – Wide Lanternfish
Diaphus lucidus – Spotlight Lanternfish
Diaphus metopoclampus – Bluntnose Lanternfish
Diaphus minax – “Minax” Lanternfish
Diaphus mollis – Soft Lanternfish
Diaphus perspicillatus – Flatface Lanternfish
Diaphus problematicus – Problematic Headlightfish
Diaphus splendidus – Splendid Lanternfish
Diaphus subtilis – Flabby Lanternfish
Diaphus taaningi – Slopewater Lanternfish
Diaphus termophilus – Warmwater Headlightfish
References:
Cocco, A. 1838. Su di alcuni salmonidi del mare di Messina. Nuovi annali delle scienze naturali e rendiconto dei lavori dell’Accademia della Scienze dell’Instituto di Bologna con appendice agraria. Bologna Anno 1, Tomo 2 (fasc. 9): 161-194, Pls. 5-8. [On certain salmonids of the Sea of Messina. New Annals of Natural Sciences and Report on the Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Institute of Bologna, with an Agricultural Appendix. Year 1, Volume 2 (File 9): 161-194, Pls 5-8.]
(FAO 2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volumes 1-3. K.E. Carpenter (ed.). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy. 4099p. (Available at: http://www.fao.org/3/y4160e/y4160e00.htm).
(FAO 2020). Sutton, T.T., P.A. Hulley, R. Wienerroither, D. Zaera-Perez, and J.R. Paxton. 2020. Identification guide to the mesopelagic fishes of the central and south east Atlantic Ocean. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Rome, FAO. 2020. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb0365en.
Nafpaktitis, B.G. 1966. Two new fishes of the myctophid genus Diaphus from the Atlantic Ocean. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Volume 133 (No. 9): 401-424.