| Family: |
Bathylagidae (Deep-sea smelts) |
| Max. size: |
17.5 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathypelagic; marine; depth range 200 - 1497 m |
| Distribution: |
Widely distributed in tropical and subtropical seas. Eastern Atlantic: south of Portugal to Madeira. Western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 27768). Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951). Northwest Pacific: Japan (Ref. 559). Southwest Pacific: New Zealand (Ref. 5755). Eastern Pacific: California Current region (Ref. 35604). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-11; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 18-21; Vertebrae: 48-53. Head and body silver when fresh; no scale pocket markings; lateral line indistinct (Ref. 13608). Slender body. Jaws rounded and subequal at the tips (Ref. 37473). Body strongly elongated with almost equal depth. Caudal peduncle short and relatively narrow. Pectorals short, far from reaching origin of dorsal fin. Radial pattern noticeable at the hind lower part of operculum. Few gill rakers on the inner surface of epibranchial of first gill arch (Ref. 33679). |
| Biology: |
Mesopelagic (Ref. 58302). Usually caught in small aggregations (Ref. 6345). Exhibits daily vertical migrations (Ref. 6345). Feeds on plankton (Ref. 6345). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 10 July 2014 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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