Smallfin lanternfish (Benthosema suborbitale)

Scientific name: Benthosema suborbitale Gilbert, 1913

The Smallfin lanternfish (Benthosema suborbitale) is a marine fish of the family Myctophidae.

Biology

High-oceanic, epipelagic to mesopelagic, found in 375-750 m during the day and near the surface to 125 m at night. Adults feed on zooplankton. Caudal glands develop in both sexes from about 1.9 cm. Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Benthosema suborbitale
Family: Myctophidae (Lanternfishes)
Order: Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 3.9
Depth range: 50–2500 m (164–8202 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous; depth range 50 - 2500 m, usually 500 - 600 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Circumglobal in tropical and temperate waters, but with a distinct equatorial gap in the Pacific. Western Atlantic: Canada to Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: Morocco to Mauritania and from Liberia to Namibia (absent in Mauritanian Upwelling Region). Indian and Pacific: confined to southern equatorial water masses, extending to 50?N and 50?S in western boundary currents. South China Sea.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=3.65; tm=0.4; tmax=0.9)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026