Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) >
Stomiidae (Barbeled dragonfishes) > Malacosteinae
Etymology: Photostomias: Greek, photos = light + greek, stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Alcock.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 141 - 533 m (Ref. 75669). Subtropical
Circumtropical: Subtropical and tropical waters of the eastern North Atlantic and throughout the South Atlantic to 23°53'S, rare in the western North Atlantic; Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Indo-Pacific, central North Pacific.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 15.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 75669)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 22 - 26; Anal soft rays: 26 - 30; Vertebrae: 55 - 57. This species is distinguished by having 3 pairs of basibranchial tooth patches; D 22-26, A 26-30, the sum of dorsal- and anal-fin rays 49-55; male postorbital organ length large, specimens greater than 6.0 cm, 72.1-197.2% fleshy orbit, 16.7-46.6% JL; anterior orbital organ length large, specimens greater than 6.0 cm, 9.2-37.8% fleshy orbit, 2.1-9.6% JL (Ref. 75669).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kenaley, C.P. and K.E. Hartel, 2005. A revision of Atlantic species of Photostomias (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Malacosteinae), with a description of a new species. Ichthyol. Res. 52(3):251-263. (Ref. 75669)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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