Myctophum sp.

FamilyScientific NameAuthorYearCommon Name
MyctophidaeMyctophum sp.Rafinesque1810Unspecified 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 an inclined line, with PVO2 usually more than 1 photophore diameter above PVO1. All VO level. One Pol.

Species in the Genus Myctophum, including Dasyscopelus:

Myctophum affine (Lütken 1892), Metallic Lanternfish

Dasyscopelus asper (Richardson) 1845(synonym = Myctophum asperum Richardson 1845, Prickly Lanternfish

Myctophum nitidulum Garman 1899, Pearly Lanternfish
Diagnosis: dorsal finrays 13 (12-14); anal finrays 20 (18-21); pectoral finrays 13 (12-14). Gillrakers 5 (6, rarely 4) + 1 + 13 (11-15), total 19 (17-22). AO 9 (7-10) + 5 (4-7), total 14 (12-15). Males with 6-7 overlapping luminous scales supra-caudally; females with 3-5 partially overlapping luminous patches infra-caudally. Size: to 83 mm.

Dasyscopelus obtusirostris (Tåning 1928) – (synonym = Myctophum obtusirostre Tåning 1928, Bluntsnout Lanternfish

Myctophum punctatum Rafinesque 1810, Spotted Lanternfish
Diagnosis: dorsal finrays 14 (13); anal finrays 20 (21-22); pectoral finrays 14 (15). Gillrakers 7 (6) + 1 + 17 (16-19), total 25 (22-27). AO 8 (7) + 9 (8), total 17 (15-16). Males with 2-4 overlapping luminous scales supracaudally; females with 4-5 (3) partially overlapping luminous patches infra-caudally. Size: to 107 mm.

Myctophum selenops Tåning 1928, Wisner’s Lanternfish
Diagnosis: dorsal finrays 13; anal finrays 18 (17-19); pectoral finrays 17 (15-18). Gillrakers 7 (6) + 1 + 15 (14-16), total 23 (21-24). AO 7 (6-8) + 3 (2-4), total 10 (9-11). Supra-caudal gland only in both males 6 (5-7) large overlapping luminous scales) and females 3 (2-4) smaller overlapping luminous scales). Size: to 72 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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