Oneirodes macrosteus Pietsch, 1974
Oneirodes macrosteus
photo by Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada

Family:  Oneirodidae (Dreamers)
Max. size:  20.6 cm TL (female)
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 0 - 1000 m
Distribution:  North Atlantic: single specimen from the Irminger Sea (Ref. 10523) and a single record from the eastern central Atlantic; also in the northwest Atlantic and western central Atlantic.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 6-6; Anal soft rays: 4-4. Characterized by having esca with stout, internally pigmented anterior appendage less than half the length of escal bulb and bearing numerous tapering filaments at distal tip and 2-3 filaments along anterior margin; absence of medial escal appendages; terminal escal papilla truncated with two bilaterally placed distal pigment spots in specimens 20mm and larger; posterior escal appendage approximately one-half of escal bulb to longer than escal bulb in large specimens; distal one-third to one-half of posterior appendage split into numerous filaments; absence of lateral escal appendages; filamentous anterolateral escal appendage, less than length of anterior appendage; distal tips of filaments of anterior and posterior escal appendages and entire length of filaments of anterolateral escalappendage with dark melanophores in specimens 124mm and larger; relatively long and narrow subopercle, without indentation on posterodorsal margin; ventral fork length of opercle 24.4-26.0% SL; ratio of lengths of dorsal and ventral forks of opercle 0.46-0.53; absence of epibranchial teeth; presence of teeth on pharyngobranchial II; upper jaw teeth 26-70, lower jaw teeth 27-65; teeth on vomer 5-8; dorsal fin rays 6; anal fin rays 4; pectoral fin rays 15-17; head length 35.7-42.5% SL; head depth 32.2-45.0% SL; length of premaxilla 28.8-33.5% SL; length of lower jaw 39.9-47.5% SL; illicial length 23.8-40.2% SL (Ref. 86949).
Biology:  Also mesopelagic (Ref. 10524).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 22 July 2014 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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