Teleostei (teleosts) >
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) >
Stomiidae (Barbeled dragonfishes) > Melanostomiinae
Etymology: Tactostoma: There is two interpretations; Greek, taktos, -e,-on = put in order + Greek, soma = body; or latin, tactus = touch, sense of touch + Greek, soma = body (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 30 - 2000 m (Ref. 28981). Deep-water; 66°N -
Northwest Pacific: Japan (Ref. 559); Kamchatka and Kuril Islands (Ref. 41668). Eastern Pacific: Bering Sea (Ref. 265) and the Gulf of Alaska to southern California, USA (Ref. 2850), southwards to central Baja California (Ref. 35904). Reported from Chile.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 30 - ? cm
Max length : 34.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4925)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 18; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 19 - 22; Vertebrae: 79 - 82. Jet black all over except for the dark gray on the posterior part of the lower jaw; when the thin epidermis is rubbed off, as is difficult to avoid, the dermis shows lead gray; young rich brown in color (Ref. 6885).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.
Mesopelagic migrating into epipelagic at night (Ref. 35904). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 35904).
Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann, 1983. A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston (MA, USA): Houghton Mifflin Company. xii+336 p. (Ref. 2850)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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