| Family: |
Chiasmodontidae (Snaketooth fishes) |
| Max. size: |
20 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathypelagic; marine; depth range 30 - 2390 m |
| Distribution: |
Circum sub- and tropical: Atlantic Ocean (from 46°N-36°S, 7°W-88°W). Pacific Ocean (33°N-27°S, 99°W-121°E), including off Japan and several records from the Western Indian Ocean (Ref. 85782). The northern occurrence in Atlantic and Pacific most likely due to transportation by Gulf Stream and Kuroshio, resp. (Ref. 78616). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal soft rays (total): 21-23; Anal soft rays: 20-24; Vertebrae: 36-38. This species can be distinguished from P. paxtoni by dentition and photophore pattern with innermost premaxillary teeth in mesial row not extremely elongated, when mouth is closed teeth not reaching the contralateral premaxilla (vs. innermost premaxillary teeth in mesial row very elongate, reaching contralateral premaxilla when mouth is closed); teeth of mesial row of premaxilla and internalmost row of dentary slightly curved (vs. teeth of mesial rows of premaxilla and internalmost row of dentary straight); mesial series of premaxillary teeth arranged in transverse rows of 1-5 rows of teeth (vs. mesial series of premaxillary teeth arranged in transverse rows of 1-3 rows of teeth) (Ref. 85782). |
| Biology: |
A meso- to bathypelagic (Ref. 85782). One record at 4,631m deep (Ref. 78616). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 14 July 2014 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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