Lancet fish (Notoscopelus kroyeri)

Scientific name: Notoscopelus kroyeri Malm, 1861

The Lancet fish (Notoscopelus kroyeri) is a marine fish of the family Myctophidae. Native range: Atlantic Ocean, between the Arctic Circle and 37?N in the east and between 60?N and 40?N in the west.

Biology

High-oceanic species. Found at 325 to deeper than 1,000 m during the day; nyctoepipelagic at surface and down to 125 m. Epipelagic to bathypelagic. Feeds on crustaceans.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Notoscopelus kroyeri
Family: Myctophidae (Lanternfishes)
Order: Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 14.3
Depth range: 0–1000 m (0–3281 ft)
Environment: Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 1000 m, usually 800 - 900 m
Climate: Temperate
Distribution: Atlantic Ocean: between the Arctic Circle and 37?N in the east and between 60?N and 40?N in the west.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.2)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026