New record of mesopelagic lanternfish from the Indian Ocean

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei J.P. Müller, 1845

Order: Myctophiformes Regan, 1911

Family: Myctophidae Gill, 1893

Lampadena urophaos Paxton, 1963

Collection: Central Indian Ocean, northwest of Chagos archipelago, 3.88°S, 66.46°E, 400 m, 15.09.2015 (FORVSS 344 leg 1, St. 10), Cosmos trawl

Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/FIS/00503

Description: Fin formula: 14, A 14, P 14–15, V 8. Body elongate, compressed, mouth large, nearly horizontal, eye moderately small. Pterotic spine strong, directed posteriorly and slightly ventrally. Pectoral organ not abruptly or highly elevated. Precaudal 1–2 interspace much shorter than 3.0 times the diameter of a photophore of this series. Caudal luminous glands strongly developed, set deeply into vertical surfaces of caudal peduncle. Pectroventral organ 2 below upper end of pectoral fin base, PO4 and PO5 slightly higher than other PO photophores, supra-caudal and infra-caudal glands present as a single large, black-margined organ, Prc3 on lateral line, adipose fin present.

Biological association: None.

Remarks: New record of mesopelagic lanternfish from Indian Ocean

Distribution: Eastern Pacific Ocean, Central Indian Ocean, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Depth range: 0–1000 m.

Distribution map:

Identified by: Meera K.M.

Publication: Meera K.M., Sanjeevan V.N., Raghu Prakash R., Hashim M. (2024) An updated checklist of myctophids of Western Indian Ocean with 6 new records. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 73: 103450.

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