Spothead lantern fish

Spothead lantern fish
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Myctophiformes
Family:	Myctophidae
Genus:	Diaphus
Species:	D. metopoclampus
Binomial name
Diaphus metopoclampus (Cocco, 1829)
Synonyms [2]
Aethoprora metopoclampaCocco, 1829 Diaphus meteopoclampusCocco, 1829 Diaphus metopoclampumCocco, 1829 Myctophum metopoclampumCocco, 1829 Scopelus metopoclampumCocco, 1829

The spothead lantern fish (Diaphus metopoclampus), also called the bluntnose lanternfish, ^[3] is a species of fish in the family Myctophidae (lanternfish). ^{[4] [5]}

Its specific name is from Ancient Greek μέτωπον (metōpon, "forehead") and λαμπάς (lampas, "lantern"). ^[6]

Description

The spothead lantern fish is black and pink in colour, with a maximum length of 7.5 cm (3.0 in). ^{[7] [8]} It has a deep and short head and prominent photophores in its head. ^[9]

Habitat

Diaphus metopoclampus is bathypelagic and non-migratory, living at depths of 90–1,085 m (295–3,560 ft) in non-polar seas worldwide, typically on the continental slope. ^{[10] [7]}

Behaviour

The spothead lantern fish attains sexual maturity at 4.8 cm (1.9 in) in length; it spawns in the spring and summer. ^[11]

References

1. Hulley, P. (2015). "Diaphus metopoclampus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015 e.T198613A15580024. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T198613A15580024.en .
2. "Spothead lantern fish - Diaphus metopoclampus - (Cocco, 1829)". eunis.eea.europa.eu.
3. "Diaphus metopoclampus". fishesofaustralia.net.au.
4. Golani, Dani; Öztürk, Bayram; Başusta, Nuri (July 15, 2006). Fishes of the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkish Marine Research Foundation. ISBN   978-975-8825-12-7 – via Google Books.
5. Furlani, Dianne; Gales, Rosemary; Pemberton, David (July 15, 2007). Otoliths of Common Australian Temperate Fish: A Photographic Guide. Csiro Publishing. ISBN   978-0-643-09255-6 – via Google Books.
6. "Order MYCTOPHIFORMES (Lanternfishes)". December 7, 2018.
7. Smith, Margaret M.; Heemstra, Phillip C. (December 6, 2012). Smiths' Sea Fishes. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN   978-3-642-82858-4 – via Google Books.
8. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Diaphus metopoclampus (Cocco, 1829)". www.marinespecies.org.
9. Nafpaktitis, Basil G. (July 15, 1968). "Taxonomy and Distribution of the Lantern-fishes, Genera Lobianchia and Diaphus, in the North Atlantic". Høst – via Google Books.
10. "Diaphus metopoclampus, Spothead lantern fish". www.fishbase.se.
11. "Diaphus metopoclampus". fishesofaustralia.net.au.