Teleostei (teleosts) >
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) >
Stomiidae (Barbeled dragonfishes) > Astronesthinae
Etymology: Rhadinesthes: Greek, rhadinos, -e, -on = soft, flexible + Greek, esthes, -es = suit, something used to wra (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 0 - 4900 m (Ref. 58018). Deep-water; 65°N - 46°S, 180°W - 180°E
Eastern Atlantic: Bay of Biscay to Mauritania and off Namibia; reported from Iceland (Ref. 12462). Also tropical Indian Ocean, eastern and western South Pacific, and central North Pacific.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 41.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4465)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 18 - 21. Teeth on upper jaw slender, all short, widely spaced; 10 to 12 on premaxillary, 14 to 30 teeth on maxillary. No well-developed canines in jaws. Pelvic insertion nearer to tip of snout than to caudal base. Dorsal origin well behind pelvic insertion. Dorsal adipose fin absent.
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
An oceanic (Ref. 2802) and mesopelagic-bathypelagic species (Ref. 4465). Usually found deeper than 500 m during the day (Ref. 2802). Feeds on midwater fishes and crustaceans (Ref. 2802).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Gibbs, R.H. Jr., 1990. Astronesthidae. p. 300-307. 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. 4465)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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