Teleostei (teleosts) > Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and dragonfishes) > Sternoptychidae (Marine hatchetfishes) > Sternoptychinae
Etymology: Argyropelecus: Greek, argyros = silvered, silver + Greek, pelekys = axe (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Garman.

Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 1 - 3872 m (Ref. 13608) usually 1 - 600 m (Ref. 35838); deep-water; 45°N - 45°S180°W - 180°E.

Eastern Atlantic: occasionally between Azores and Madeira (Ref. 4739), also from Senegal to Gulf of Guinea. Western Atlantic: 30°N-30°S, including the Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 27768). Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951). Indian Ocean: 20°N-20°S. Eastern Pacific: 35°N-35°S. Western Pacific: 30°N-10°S. South China Sea (Ref. 74511).

Max length: 8.4 cm SL male/unsexed (Ref. 4462).

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12 - 14; Vertebrae: 38 - 41. Scales deciduous; swim bladder well developed, gas-filled, euphysoclistous; branchiostegal rays 10, 3 on epihyal; post-abdominal spines (iliac) short, equal in length; abdominal keels shallow (Ref. 4739).

An oceanic and mesopelagic species (Ref. 4739, 58302), mainly at 300-650 m (Ref. 4054), 170-500 m at night and 350-600 m during day (Ref. 58302), commonly 1-600m (Ref. 035838). May make short diel migrations (Ref. 4739). Smaller individuals feed on copepods and ostracods; larger ones feed on euphausiids, salps and chaetognaths (Ref. 4739). Adult complement of photophores acquired at about 14 mm SL (Ref. 4739). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 35838).

Oviparous (Ref. 35838).

Quéro, J.-C., J.C. Njock and M.M. de la Hoz 1990 Sternoptychidae. p. 275-282. 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. 4462)

  Least Concern (LC); date assessed: July 15 2014

Not Evaluated

Not Evaluated

  Harmless

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Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 9.2 - 28.9, mean 24.6 °C (based on 11134 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01660 (0.00988 - 0.02789), b=2.96 (2.81 - 3.11), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.1 ±0.2 se; Based on food items.

Generation time: 1.6 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1 growth studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.67).

Fishing vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (21 of 100).

Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 0 [0, 0] mg/100g; Iron = 0 [0, 0] mg/100g; Protein = 0 [0, 0] %; Omega3 = 0 [0, 0] g/100g; Selenium = 0 [0, 0] μg/100g; VitaminA = 0 [0, 0] μg/100g; Zinc = 0 [0, 0] mg/100g (wet weight);