Benthosema suborbitale (Gilbert, 1913)
Smallfin lanternfish
Benthosema suborbitale
photo by Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada

Family:  Myctophidae (Lanternfishes), subfamily: Myctophinae
Max. size:  3.9 cm SL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 0.6 g; max. reported age: 1 years
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 50 - 2500 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Circumglobal in tropical and temperate waters, but with a distinct equatorial gap in the Pacific (Ref. 9835). Western Atlantic: Canada to Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: Morocco to Mauritania and from Liberia to Namibia (absent in Mauritanian Upwelling Region). Indian and Pacific: confined to southern equatorial water masses, extending to 50°N and 50°S in western boundary currents. South China Sea (Ref.74511).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-14; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 16-19; Vertebrae: 33-35
Biology:  High-oceanic, epipelagic to mesopelagic, found in 375-750 m during the day and near the surface to 125 m at night (Ref. 4066, 58302). Adults feed on zooplankton (Ref. 9835). Caudal glands develop in both sexes from about 1.9 cm (Ref. 4775). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 31442).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 10 July 2012 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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