Scientific Name
Phosichthys argenteus

Common Name
Silver lightfish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-13; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 23 - 26

Classification

Classified By

Hutton, 1872

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Lightfishes and Dragonfishes (Stomiiformes)

Family

Lightfishes (Phosichthyidae)

Distribution

Region

Eastern Atlantic

Distribution

Eastern Atlantic: off Angola (Ref. 4470), Namibia (Ref. 27121), and southeast of Cape Agulhas, South Africa (Ref. 3988). Also Indian and Pacific (Ref. 3988).

Range

6°S - 49°S, 54°W - 177°W

Environment

Climate

Deep-water

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

300 m

Depth To - meters

1050 m

Zone

bathyalpelagic

Environment

Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 300 - 1050 m (Ref. 4470)

Trophic Level

4.01 s.e. 0.68 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

30.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 1.0000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Unknown

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (15 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tmax>3)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated