Stomiiformes is an order of deep-sea ray-finned fishes of very diverse morphology. It includes, for example, dragonfishes, lightfishes, loosejaws, marine hatchetfishes and viperfishes. The order contains 4 families with more than 50 genera and at least 410 species. As usual for deep-sea fishes, there are few common names for species of the order, but the Stomiiformes as a whole are often called dragonfishes and allies or simply stomiiforms.
Stomiidae is a family of deep-sea ray-finned fish, including the barbeled dragonfishes. They are quite small, usually around 15 cm, up to 26 cm. These fish are apex predators and have enormous jaws filled with fang-like teeth. They are also able to hinge the neurocranium and upper-jaw system, which leads to the opening of the jaw to more than 100 degrees. This ability allows them to consume extremely large prey, often 50% greater than their standard length.
Sloane's viperfish, Chauliodus sloani, is a predatory mesopelagic dragonfish found in waters across the world. The species was first described by German scientists Marcus Elieser Bloch and Johann Gottlob Schneider in their 1801 book Systema ichthyologiae: iconibus CX illustratum, volume 1. Female C. sloani reach maturity between 133 and 191 mm, while males likely reach maturity at slightly smaller body lengths. It has two rows of photophores along its ventral side. It is believed that C. sloani can adjust the intensity of bioluminescence of the ventral photophores to camouflage itself from predators that might see its shadow from below.
The northern red-bellied turtle or American red-bellied turtle is a species of turtle in the Pseudemys (cooter) genus of the family Emydidae.
Stomias is a genus of barbeled dragonfishes. They live in the mesopelagic zone of all oceans and show diel vertical migration and sexual dimorphism (males are smaller, have larger eyes and larger postorbital photophores than females.
Grammatostomias flagellibarba is a species of barbeled dragonfish. They live at depths of up to 1,500 m below the surface and usually measure up to 15.2 cm in length.
Stomias affinis, also known as Gunther's boafish, is a deep-sea mesopelagic fish species in the family Stomiidae. They inhabit the open seas in the equatorial zones of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The large-eye snaggletooth, also called the straightline dragonfish or Antarctic snaggletooth, is a species of fish in the family Stomiidae.
Leptostomias gladiator is a species of fish in the family Stomiidae. It is sometimes called the scaleless dragonfish, but that name is shared with many other species.
Stomias boa, also known as the boa dragonfish, scaly dragonfish, dragon-boa or boa scaly dragonfish, is a species of deep-sea fish in the family Stomiidae. It is found at great depths worldwide in tropical to temperate oceans but is absent from the northern Pacific and northwest Atlantic Oceans.
Stomias ferox is a subspecies of deep-sea fish in the family Stomiidae.
Grammatostomias circularis is a species of barbeled dragonfish in the family Stomiidae. The species has been observed in the Atlantic Ocean, and fully-grown members of the species can reach a maximum length of 13.6 centimeters.
Neonesthes microcephalus is a species of barbeled dragonfish in the genus Neonesthes. The species has been observed in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, and fully-grown members of the species can reach a maximum length of ~17.2 centimeters.
Photostomias guernei is a species of barbeled dragonfish in the genus Photostomias. The species has been documented in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and fully-grown members of the species can reach a maximum length of ~16 centimeters.
Bathophilus proximus is a species of barbeled dragonfish in the genus Bathophilus. The species has been documented in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, and fully-grown members of the species can reach a maximum length of ~5 centimeters.
Stomias brevibarbatus is a species of deep-sea mesopelagic fish in the genus Stomias. The species has been observed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portugal, and fully-grown adults can reach a maximum length of ~20.4 centimeters.
Stomias danae is a species of deep-sea mesopelagic fish in the genus Stomias. The species has been observed in the Pacific Ocean.
Stomias gracilis is a species of deep-sea mesopelagic fish in the genus Stomias. The species has been documented in the Southern Ocean, and fully-grown adults can reach a maximum length of ~26 centimetres (10 in).
Leptostomias leptobolus is a species of fish in the genus Leptostomias. The species has been documented in the Pacific Ocean, and fully-grown adults can reach a maximum length of ~11.5 centimetres (4.5 in).
