Black snaggletooth (Astronesthes indicus)

Scientific name: Astronesthes indicus Brauer, 1902

The Black snaggletooth (Astronesthes indicus) is a marine fish of the family Stomiidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-16; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 14; Vertebrae: 43 - 46. Body black in color. Relatively large luminous patches on operculum and interoperculum, and along ventral margin of lower jaw; its color pink when fresh, whitish preserved. Serial photopores few and widely spaced. Body moderately elongate and slender. Chin barbel long and slender, tip expanded in form of thin flaps or swollen bulb. Maxillary teeth are comblike.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Astronesthes indicus
Family: Stomiidae (Barbeled dragonfishes)
Order: Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and Dragonfishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 21.0
Depth range: 1–3000 m (3–9843 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 1 - 3000 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: Madeira to off South Africa. Western Atlantic: 25?N-5?N. Indo-Pacific: eastern Africa, Gulf of Aden and Bay of Bengal to the vicinity of the Hawaiian and Japanese islands, the Philippines and northwestern Australia. Eastern Pacific: most frequent in the equatorial zone covering the Galapagos. This species is not likely to occur in the central oceanic gyres. South China Sea.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026