Teleostei (teleosts) >
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) >
Stomiidae (Barbeled dragonfishes) > Malacosteinae
Etymology: Malacosteus: Greek, malakos = soft + Greek, osteon = bone (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Ayres.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 500 - 3886 m (Ref. 50610). Deep-water; 66°N - 35°S, 180°W - 180°E (Ref. 78501)
Worldwide in all oceans from Arctic latitudes at 66°N to approx. 30°S in the southern hemisphere; unknown in the Mediterranean.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 25.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5951)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 21; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 18 - 24; Vertebrae: 47 - 51. This species possess the following characters: in male, postorbital photophore (PO) 5.8-11.9% upper jaw length (UJL), 1.5-3.1% SL; female PO 2.8-8.1% UJL, 0.8-11.9% SL; IP photophores 3-5 in 3-5 clusters (Ref. 78501).
Meso- and bathypelagic (Ref. 58302). It has been suggested that this species does not undergo substantial diel vertical migration and remains below 500 m (Ref. 78501). Feeds on crustaceans and fishes (Ref. 58426).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kenaley, C.P., 2007. Revision of the stoplight loosejaw genus Malacosteus (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Malacosteinae), with description of a new species from the temperate Southern Hemisphere and Indian Ocean. Copeia 2007(4):886-900. (Ref. 78501)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 2.3 - 6, mean 3.6 °C (based on 3340 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.7500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00407 (0.00157 - 0.01056), b=3.10 (2.88 - 3.32), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.7 ±0.58 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (16 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 21.5 [5.0, 87.9] mg/100g; Iron = 0.37 [0.11, 1.20] mg/100g; Protein = 2.95 [0.00, 6.86] %; Omega3 = 0.196 [0.058, 0.656] g/100g; Selenium = 13.2 [3.7, 54.7] μg/100g; VitaminA = 28.6 [3.3, 228.1] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.55 [0.25, 1.37] mg/100g (wet weight);