Valdivia black dragon fish (Melanostomias valdiviae)

Scientific name: Melanostomias valdiviae Brauer, 1902

Valdivia black dragon fish (Melanostomias valdiviae)

The Valdivia black dragon fish (Melanostomias valdiviae) is a marine fish of the family Stomiidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-16; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 17 - 19. Body elongate and moderately slender. Short, blunt and non-protrusible snout. Short chin barbel with short terminal expanded section. Black in color. Barbel is black, tip of barbel unpigmented.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Melanostomias valdiviae
Family
Stomiidae (Barbeled dragonfishes)
Order
Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and Dragonfishes)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
24.1
Depth range
40–1600 m (131–5249 ft)
Environment
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 40 - 1600 m
Climate
Deep-water
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: between 41?N and 28?N, one record at about 30?N, 18?W, and west of South Africa. Western Atlantic: between 41?N and 28?N, Gulf of Mexico, and south to 8?N; then between 10?S and 18?S. Northwest Atlantic: Canada. Also Indian and Pacific oceans.
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.

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