Teleostei (teleosts) >
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) >
Gonostomatidae (Bristlemouths)
Etymology: Gonostoma: Greek, gonio = angle + Greek stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Norman.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 50 - 1352 m (Ref. 74511). Deep-water; 41°N - 40°S, 98°W - 110°W
Worldwide. Eastern Atlantic: Madeira (Ref. 4769), Canary Islands (Ref. 6808) and Cape Verde (Ref. 27000); Senegal to Gulf of Guinea (Ref. 4463). Western Atlantic and Indo-Pacific: in tropical and subtropical waters (Ref. 4463), including the Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 27768). Eastern Pacific: California Current region (Ref. 35800). South China Sea (Ref.74511).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4463)
Mesopelagic (Ref. 58302). Exhibit diel vertical migrations, juveniles and adults mainly at 300-600 by day and at 50-200 by night (Ref. 4463, 58302). Feed on copepods and euphausiids (Ref. 4769). Photophores developing in fishes over 12-20 mm SL (Ref. 4769). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 35800).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Quéro, J.-C., J.C. Njock and M.M. de la Hoz, 1990. Gonostomatidae. p. 283-292. 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. 4463)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources