Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 1 - 1010 m (Ref. 114491). Polar; 45°S - 78°S, 180°W - 180°E
Circumpolar south of Antarctic Polar Front, but not found in Ross Sea; adults only in higher latitudes (South Orkneys, South Shetlands, Peter Island) and south of the Weddell-Scotia confluence, but adults and juveniles in the region of South Sandwich I, South Georgia and Bouvet. Reported from off the Cape, South Africa and from 43°17'S, 48°55'E (Ref. 4066).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 7.4  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 114491); 10.3 cm SL (female); max. published weight: 15.00 g (Ref. 124149); max. reported age: 4 years (Ref. 94119)
Oceanic and mesopelagic, found in the upper 100 m south of the Antarctic Polar Front but deeper northwards (Ref. 4066). Adults take more euphausiids and also prey upon polychaetes. The diet of juveniles of less than 6 cm SL consists mainly of copepods, with some euphausiids and hyperiids. Possibly the most common myctophid occurring south of the Antarctic Polar Front.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Hulley, P.A., 1990. Myctophidae. p. 146-178. In O. Gon and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Fishes of the Southern Ocean. J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, South Africa. (Ref. 5182)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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