Anotopterus nikparini

Anotopterus nikparini
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Aulopiformes
Family:	Anotopteridae
Genus:	Anotopterus
Species:	A. nikparini
Binomial name
Anotopterus nikparini Kukuev, 1998

The North Pacific Daggertooth, Anotopterus nikparini is a species of fish in the family Anotopteridae, the daggertooths. It is native to the northern Pacific Ocean, where it occurs as far north as the Bering Sea and as far south as Japan and Baja California. ^{[1] [2]}

Etymology

The fish is named in honor of ichthyologist Nikolai Vasil’evich Parin (1932–2012), of the Russian Academy of Sciences. ^[3]

Distribution

This fish can be found near the surface to depths below 2000 meters. Populations in colder regions are mainly larger, older adults. ^[2]

Food chain

This species feeds on molluscs, crustaceans, marine worms, salps, and fish. ^[2] It is an important predator of Pacific salmon. ^[4] In turn, it is a prey item for whales and large fish such as albacore, lancetfish, halibut, steelhead, pomfret, and blue shark. ^[2]

References

1. Kukuev, E.I., 1998. Systematics and distribution in the world ocean of daggertooth fishes of the genus Anotopterus (Anotopteridae, Aulopiformes). J. Ichthyol. 38(9):716-729.
2. Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Editors. Anotopterus nikparini. FishBase. 2015.
3. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Family ALEPISAURIDAE Swainson 1839 (Lancetfishes)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
4. Nagasawa, K., Azumaya, T., & Yoshida, Y. (2002). Impact of predation by salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) and daggertooth (Anotopterus nikparini) on Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) stocks in the North Pacific Ocean. NPAFC Technical Report No. 4.