Hector's lanternfish

Hector's lanternfish (Lampanyctodes hectoris) is a lanternfish in the family Myctophidae, the only species in the genus Lampanyctodes.[1] It is named after James Hector.

Hector's lanternfish
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Myctophiformes
Family: Myctophidae
Genus: Lampanyctodes
Fraser-Brunner, 1949
Species:
L. hectoris
Binomial name
Lampanyctodes hectoris
(Günther, 1876)

It is a widespread marine fish, known from shallow tropical waters in the south-eastern Atlantic, from the western Pacific off Australia and New Zealand, and from the eastern Pacific off Chile. It is one of the few species of lanternfishes to inhabit shallow waters, and in those waters it is one of the most abundant species of fish, and central to the food chain of the upper continental slope. The abundance is due to its high fecundity — it spawns multiple times in the winter so that the fry can take advantage of the spring bloom of krill.[2]

It grows up to 73 millimetres (2.9 in) standard length (SL) and may reach the age of 3 years.[3] It reaches sexual maturity at approximately 50 mm SL and age of one year.[4]

Hector's lanternfish is fished commercially using seine nets in the waters off South Africa, where catches have reached 42,400 tonnes. The catch is ground up to make fish meal and fish oil.[5]

References
  • "Lampanyctodes hectoris". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 18 April 2006.
  1. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Lampanyctodes hectoris" in FishBase. January 2006 version.
  2. J. W. Young (1998). "The ecology of midwater fish and zooplankton from coastal and oceanic waters of eastern Tasmania, Australia". PhD thesis. University of Tasmania. Retrieved 27 March 2006.
  3. Young, J. W.; Bulman, C. M.; Blaber, S. J. M.; Wayte, S. E. (1988). "Age and growth of the lanternfish Lampanyctodes hectoris (Myctophidae) from eastern Tasmania, Australia". Marine Biology. 99 (4): 569–576. doi:10.1007/BF00392564.
  4. Young, J. W.; Blaber, S. J. M.; Rose, R. (1987). "Reproductive biology of three species of midwater fishes associated with the continental slope of eastern Tasmania, Australia". Marine Biology. 95 (3): 323–332. doi:10.1007/BF00409562.
  5. P. Alexander Hulley. "Lanternfishes in general". South African Museum. Archived from the original on 10 January 2006. Retrieved 27 March 2006.
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