Prickly lanternfish (Myctophum asperum)

Scientific name: Myctophum asperum Richardson, 1845

The Prickly lanternfish (Myctophum asperum) is a marine fish of the family Myctophidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-14; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 17 - 20. Anal organs 13-14; males bear 5 luminous scales in supracaudal gland, females has 1-4 scales in infracaudal gland.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Myctophum asperum
Family: Myctophidae (Lanternfishes)
Order: Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 8.5
Depth range: 0–750 m (0–2461 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 750 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Western Atlantic: 20?N to Brazil including the Gulf of Mexico, with expatriates in the slope water region. Eastern Atlantic: Mauritania to South Africa (Agulhas water pockets). Northwest Atlantic: Canada. Indo-Pacific: north and south equatorial currents and equatorial countercurrents, and in the east Australian and Agulhas currents. Also in the Eastern Central Pacific. Larvae found in Taiwan Strait. South China Sea and East China Sea.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (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