Benthosema glaciale

Benthosema glaciale, or glacier lantern fish, is the most common species of lanternfish and important part of the midwater ecosystem of northern North Atlantic.[1][2]

Benthosema glaciale
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Myctophiformes
Family: Myctophidae
Genus: Benthosema
Species:
B. glaciale
Binomial name
Benthosema glaciale

It feeds on small crustaceans, including copepods, krill and amphipods, along with other small invertebrates.[3]

Distribution

Benthosema glaciale occurs in the North Atlantic as well as in the Mediterranean Sea. In the eastern Atlantic it is found from Guinea northwards to the Kara Sea, and in the western Atlantic from the northern edge of the Gulf Stream northwards to the Baffin Bay and Greenland.[4][5] It is common in Norwegian fjords.[1]

Benthosema glaciale is a mesopelagic fish that can be found from surface waters down to depth of 1,400 m (4,600 ft), but it is most common at around 300–400 m (980–1,310 ft).[4] It undergoes diel vertical migration, moving to shallower water to feed at night.[1][4] However, depth distribution can be bimodal at night, suggesting that not all individuals migrate.[6]

Life history

Benthosema glaciale can grow to 10.3 cm (4.1 in) SL.[4] They have a maximum lifespan of about eight years,[4] although typical lifespan is shorter.[1] Maturity is reached at age 2–3 years. Spawning takes place mostly in summer.[2] In Norway, oceanic populations grow slower but to a larger size than fjord populations.[7] Mediterranean populations have smaller body size, shorter lifespan, and might spawn throughout the year.[2]

References
  1. Gjøsæter, J. (1973). "Age, growth, and mortality of the myctophid fish, Benthosema glaciale (Reinhardt), from western Norway". Sarsia. 52: 1–14. doi:10.1080/00364827.1973.10411227.
  2. Gjøsæter, J. (1981). "Growth, production and reproduction of the myctophid fish Benthosema glaciale from western Norway and adjacent seas". Fiskeridirektoratets Skrifter, Serie Havundersøkelser. 17: 79–108.
  3. García-Seoane, E.; Dalpadado, P.; Vázquez, A. (2013-10-01). "Feeding ecology of the glacier lanternfish Benthosema glaciale (Actinopterygii, Myctophidae) in the Flemish Cap (North Atlantic Ocean)". Hydrobiologia. 717 (1): 133–146. doi:10.1007/s10750-013-1579-5. ISSN 1573-5117.
  4. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2014). "Benthosema glaciale" in FishBase. November 2014 version.
  5. Eschmeyer, W. N. (3 February 2015). "Catalog of Fishes". California Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on 3 May 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  6. Sutton, T. T.; Letessier, T. B.; Bardarson, B. (2013). "Midwater fishes collected in the vicinity of the Sub-Polar Front, Mid-North Atlantic Ocean, during ECOMAR pelagic sampling". Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. 98: 292–300. Bibcode:2013DSRII..98..292S. doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2013.08.001.
  7. Kristoffersen, J. B.; Salvanes, A. G. V. (2009). "Distribution, growth, and population genetics of the glacier lanternfish (Benthosema glaciale) in Norwegian waters: Contrasting patterns in fjords and the ocean". Marine Biology Research. 5 (6): 596–604. doi:10.1080/17451000903042479. S2CID 85048678.
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