Teleostei (teleosts) >
Scombriformes (Mackerels) >
Chiasmodontidae (Snaketooth fishes)
Etymology: Pseudoscopelus: Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, skopelos = a lantern fish (Ref. 45335). Lütken did not recognize the presence of photophores on the body, confusing them with pores, but referred to a genus of lanternfish (Scopelus now Myctophum) when he named the genus (Ref. 85782).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 30 - 2390 m (Ref. 56658), usually 50 - 1870 m (Ref. 85782). Deep-water; 46°N - 36°S, 0°E - 0°W
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).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 47377); common length : 10.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 13608)
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).
A meso- to bathypelagic (Ref. 85782). One record at 4,631m deep (Ref. 78616).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Melo, M.R.S., 2010. A revision of the genus Pseudoscopelus Lütken (Chiasmodontidae: Acanthomorphata) with descriptions of three new species. Zootaxa 2710:1-78. (Ref. 85782)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest; gamefish: yes
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01072 (0.00401 - 0.02866), b=3.03 (2.80 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.8 ±0.2 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (14 of 100).
