Diaphus theta, California headlightfish

Diaphus theta Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1890

California headlightfish
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Diaphus theta   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Diaphus theta (California headlightfish)
Diaphus theta
Picture by Orlov, A.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes) > Myctophidae (Lanternfishes) > Diaphinae
Etymology: Diaphus: Greek, dis, dia = through + Greek, physa, phyo = to beget, to have as offspring (Ref. 45335); theta: Named after the Greek letter and refers to the body photophores which are divided horizontally by a fine line of black pigment (Ref. 6885).
More on authors: Eigenmann & Eigenmann.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 10 - 3400 m (Ref. 50550), usually 10 - 400 m (Ref. 28981). Deep-water; 66°N - 20°S

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Pacific: common in California Current region to 20°S (Ref. 31442), including Hawaii (Ref. 4925). Northwest Pacific: throughout subarctic-transitional waters to northern Japan (Ref. 31442).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 6 - ? cm
Max length : 11.4 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4925)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 14; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12 - 14; Vertebrae: 34 - 36. Adipose small, narrow based, slender (Ref. 6885). Brown to black on dorsal surface, lighter ventrally; fins pale (Ref. 6885). Branchiostegal rays: 9 (Ref. 31442).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Epipelagic to mesopelagic (Ref. 31442). Feed at night or in the morning (Ref. 9199), on euphausiids, copepods, and amphipods (Ref. 11712). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 31442). Lipid content is 15.8 % in fresh body weight while wax ester is present in trace amounts (Ref. 9197). Minimum depth reported from Ref. 28981.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Oviparous (Ref. 31442).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Paxton, John | Collaborators

Clemens, W.A. and G.V. Wilby, 1961. Fishes of the Pacific coast of Canada. 2nd ed. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada Bull. (68):443 p. (Ref. 4925)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 26 June 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OceanAdapt | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |