| Family: |
Linophrynidae (Leftvents) |
| Max. size: |
6.4 cm SL (female) |
| Environment: |
bathypelagic; marine; depth range - 1220 m |
| Distribution: |
Southeast Atlantic: known only from a single specimen taken east of Port Alfred, South Africa. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 3-3; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 3-3. Metamorphosed females distinguished by the following characteristics: globular escal bulb, with short, truncated, distal prolongation without appendages, and a pair of posterolateral appendages, each consisting of a tapering stem about equal in length to diameter of escal bulb, bearing distal cluster of short, highly branched filaments; barbel divided near base into a median and 2 lateral primary branches, each with about 7 secondary branches, each in turn with varying numbers of filamentous tertiary branches and bearing a single distal photophore; lateral primary branches 44% SL, forming symmetrical pair with secondary branches of decreasing length, spaced along their length; caudal peduncle with ventrolateral series of large subdermal melanophores (Ref. 86949). |
| Biology: |
Known only from a single specimen taken from a depth between 1,200-1220 m. Males parasitic on females. |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 11 October 2018 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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