Teleostei (teleosts) >
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) >
Sternoptychidae (Marine hatchetfishes) > Sternoptychinae
Etymology: Sternoptyx: Greek, sternon = sternon, + Greek, ptyx = fold (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 800 - 2000 m (Ref. 74511), usually 800 - 1200 m (Ref. 4054). Deep-water; 43°N - 40°S
Widely distributed in the three major oceans. Eastern Atlantic: Portugal south to South Africa. Eastern Pacific: British Columbia, Canada (Ref. 11980). South China Sea and East China Sea (Ref.74511).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4462)
Oceanic (Ref. 4739). Meso- and bathypelagic (Ref. 58302). Does not exhibits vertical migration (Ref. 4462). Feeds on copepods, ostracods, euphausiids, amphipods, decapods (Ref. 4739). Photophores develop in adults over 16-18 mm SL (Ref. 4739). Minimum depth from Ref. 004054.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Quéro, J.-C., J.C. Njock and M.M. de la Hoz, 1990. Sternoptychidae. p. 275-282. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1. (Ref. 4462)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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