Teleostei (teleosts) >
Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes) >
Myctophidae (Lanternfishes) > Diaphinae
Etymology: Diaphus: Greek, dis, dia = through + Greek, physa, phyo = to beget, to have as offspring (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Dr Giles Willis Mead Jr (1928–2003) was an American zoologist and curator. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range ? - 250 m (Ref. 36731). Deep-water
Circumglobal distribution in the region of the Subtropical Convergence, but may be absent over the region 115°W to the coast of Chile. Eastern Atlantic: known from the southern boundary limit, 23°S to 21°S but probably farther to the north in the Benguela Upwelling Region.
Southwest Atlantic: between 32°S and 46°S (Ref. 47377).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 4 - ? cm
Max length : 5.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4479)
Oceanic and mesopelagic (Ref. 4066). Taken as prey by hakes, kingklip and Cape horse mackerel (Ref. 36731). Found in the upper 250 m at night. Spawns in spring-early summer.
Reach sexual maturity at a length of 3,6 cm (Ref. 47377).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Hulley, P.A., 1990. Myctophidae. p. 398-467. 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. 4479)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources