White-spotted lantern fish

The white-spotted lantern fish (Diaphus rafinesquii), also called Rafinesque's lanternfish, is a species of fish in the family Myctophidae.[3][4][5][6]

White-spotted lantern fish
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Myctophiformes
Family: Myctophidae
Genus: Diaphus
Species:
D. rafinesquii
Binomial name
Diaphus rafinesquii
(Cocco, 1838)
Synonyms[2]
  • Collettia rafinesquei (Cocco, 1838)
  • Collettia rafinesquii (Cocco, 1838)
  • Diaphus intermedius Borodin, 1930
  • Diaphus rafinesquei (Cocco, 1838)
  • Myctophum rafinesquei (Cocco, 1838)
  • Myctophum rafinesquii (Cocco, 1838)
  • Nyctophus rafinesquii Cocco, 1838
  • Scopelus rafinesqui (Cocco, 1838)
  • Scopelus rafinesquii (Cocco, 1838)

Etymology

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Its specific name refers to the polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783–1840).[7]

Description

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Diagram of Diaphus rafinesquii, with photophores indicated
 
Lateral and dorsal views

The white-spotted lantern fish is silvery in colour, spotted with photophores, with a maximum length of 9 cm (3.5 in).[8]

Habitat

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Diaphus rafinesquii is bathypelagic or mesopelagic and oceanodromous, living at depths of 40–2,173 m (131–7,129 ft) in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.[9][10][11] During the day, it is typically found at 325–750 m (1,066–2,461 ft) and at night, the adults are at 300–600 m (980–1,970 ft) and the young at 40–200 m (130–660 ft).[12]

Behaviour

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Males are slightly larger; spawning is in autumn and winter.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species".
  2. ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Diaphus rafinesquii (Cocco, 1838)". www.marinespecies.org.
  3. ^ Mundy, Bruce C. (July 25, 2005). Checklist of the Fishes of the Hawaiian Archipelago. Bishop Museum Press. ISBN 9781581780444 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ McEachran, John; Fechhelm, Janice D. (July 25, 1998). Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico, Vol. 1: Myxiniformes to Gasterosteiformes. University of Texas Press. ISBN 9780292752061 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "White-spoted lantern fish - Diaphus rafinesquii - (Cocco, 1838)". eunis.eea.europa.eu.
  6. ^ Wisner, Robert L. (July 25, 1976). "The Taxonomy and Distribution of Lanternfishes (Family Myctophidae) of the Eastern Pacific Ocean". Department of Defense, Navy Department, Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United (August 1, 2020). Identification guide to the mesopelagic fishes of the central and south east Atlantic Ocean. Food & Agriculture Org. ISBN 9789251330944 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "Diaphus rafinesquii". www.fishbase.se.
  9. ^ Nafpaktitus, Basil G.; Backus, Richard H.; Craddock, James E.; Haedrich, Richard L.; Robison, Bruce H.; Karnella, Charles (October 23, 2018). Order Iniomi (Myctophiformes): Part 7. Yale University Press. ISBN 9781933789170 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ "Marine Species Identification Portal : Diaphus rafinesquei". species-identification.org.
  11. ^ Wienerroither, Rupert; Bjelland, Otte (2013). "First record of Diaphus rafinesquii (Cocco, 1838) (Myctophidae) in the Norwegian Sea". Fauna Norvegica. 32: 39–43. doi:10.5324/fn.v32i0.1528 – via ResearchGate.
  12. ^ "Diaphus rafinesquii (Cocco, 1838) White-spotted lantern fish". fishbase.in.
  13. ^ "Diaphus rafinesquii | NBN Atlas". species.nbnatlas.org.