Tarletonbeania crenularis (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880)
Blue lanternfish
Tarletonbeania crenularis
photo by Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada

Family:  Myctophidae (Lanternfishes), subfamily: Myctophinae
Max. size:  12.7 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 0 - 710 m
Distribution:  Eastern Pacific: southeastern Alaska to off Mexico, including the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea (Ref. 31442).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-14; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 17-20; Vertebrae: 39-42. Adipose fin small, short based, and slender; pelvic fins with 8 or 9 rays, including rudimentary ray (Ref. 6885). Bright metallic blue dorsally, bright silvery ventrally (Ref. 6885). Branchiostegal rays: 8-9 (Ref. 31442).
Biology:  Epipelagic to mesopelagic, found at the surface at night (Ref. 31442). Feed on euphausiids (Ref. 6885). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 31442). Lipid content is 2.1 % in fresh body weight and wax ester is, at the most, 5 % in total lipids (Ref. 9197).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 29 June 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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