Teleostei (teleosts) >
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) >
Stomiidae (Barbeled dragonfishes) > Astronesthinae
Etymology: Astronesthes: Greek, astra = ray + Greek, esthes, -es = suit, something used to wrap (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Poey.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 275 - 1000 m (Ref. 58426). Deep-water; 62°N - 18°S, 98°W - 14°E
Eastern Atlantic: Mauritania south to Angola; reported from central Namibia (Ref. 27121). Western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico and Bahamas area; and across the Atlantic (20°N-10°S). One specimen known from the southwest Atlantic (25°27'S, 35°56'W).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 17.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 126117); max. published weight: 32.90 g (Ref. 126117)
Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 17; Anal soft rays: 12 - 15. Barbel without pigment, tapering to end, lacking swelling or bulb (Ref. 37473). Body moderately elongate and slender. Maxillary teeth closely spaced. Serial photophores not broken into small groups. Luminous patches present on margin of operculum. Black in color (Ref. 37039).
Oceanic, usually living deeper than 500 m during the day. Smaller individuals migrate to the surface at night. Possibly feeding on crustaceans and fishes (Ref. 58426). Minimum depth from Ref. 58018.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Gibbs, R.H. Jr., 1990. Astronesthidae. p. 300-307. 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. 4465)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 7.1 - 9.4, mean 8.6 °C (based on 35 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00437 (0.00216 - 0.00883), b=3.08 (2.89 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.9 ±0.64 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tmax>3).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (11 of 100).