Teleostei (teleosts) >
Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes) >
Myctophidae (Lanternfishes) > Diaphinae
Etymology: Diaphus: Greek, dis, dia = through + Greek, physa, phyo = to beget, to have as offspring (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Dr Åge Vedel Tåning (1890–1958) was a Danish ichthyologist and an expert on lanternfish. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 40 - 850 m (Ref. 4479), usually 400 - 500 m (Ref. 4479). Deep-water; 52°N - 48°S, 78°W - 180°W
Eastern Atlantic: Morocco to Mauritania. Western Atlantic: USA to 10°N including Caribbean, Lesser Antilles (Ref. 4775). Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951). Western Central Pacific: southeast Asian seas between 8°N and 7°S, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Also known from the Eastern Central Pacific (Ref. 9325).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 6 - ? cm
Max length : 8.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4479)
High-oceanic, found between 325-850 m during the day (most abundant at 400-500 m) and between 40-225 m at night (most abundant 100 m) (Ref. 4479). Mesopelagic (Ref. 5951, 75154).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Hulley, P.A., 1990. Myctophidae. p. 398-467. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI; Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1. (Ref. 4479)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources