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Premaxillary teeth uniserial with 3 to 7 enlarged teeth seoparated by small teeth. Premaxilla equal in length to maxilla. Teeth on posterior section of maxilla straight, close set, and shorter than enlarged premaxillary teeth. Pseaudobranch present. Vomer with 1 to 6 small teeth on each side; palatine with row of 9 to 15 small teeth. Gill filaments long and free at base. Gill rakers on first arch 12 to 14. Branchiostegal rays 13, 4 on epihyal. Dorsal adipose fin absent. Anus closer to anal-fin origin than to pelvic-fin insertion. Dorsal-fin rays 12 or 13, anal-fin rays 36 to 41. Last dorsal- and anal-fin rays split to base. Phorophores present on symphysis of lower jaw an isthmus. One orbital photophore (ORB) present on anterior margin of orbit. OP photophores 3, BR 8 to 9, IV 30 to 33, with las on pelvic-fin base; VAV 12 to 14; OA 45 to 48, extending over anal fin; AC 28 to 30. Accessory photophores above toothed section of maxilla, posterior to symphyseal photophore, and along lateral line anteriror to pelvic fin.
Body elongate; mouth large, premaxillary teeth uniserial; pseudobranch present; gillrakers on first arch 12–14; branchiostegal rays 13, 4 on epihyal. Dorsal-fin rays 12–13; pectoral finrays 10–11; pelvic finrays 8; Anal-fin rays 36–41; dorsal fin origin nearer caudal fin base than snout and well in advance of, and anus close to, anal fin origin; last dorsal and Anal-fin rays usually split to base. Vertebrae 63–66. Swimbladder capacious. Scales deciduous. Photophores present on isthmus; SO 1, ORB 1, OP 3, BR 8–9; IV 30–33, posteriormost on pelvic base; VAV 12–14; AC 28–30, evenly spaced; OA 45–48, extending over anal fin. Accessory photophores: (a) head, series of minute photophores above anterior toothed part of maxilla, with single photophore posterior to it and single photophore beneath end of maxilla; clusters of minute photophores posterior to SO and sometimes between posterior-most branchiostegal rays; (b) body, similar to D. taenia except only one non-serial pr-pectoral primary photophore and no small postanal midline photophore. Color of back dark, flanks silvery, fin rays finely speckled; posteriorly upper and lower jaw transparent.
Tropical Atlantic endemic, absent in Mediterranean.
Key characters distinct at 17 mm SL (post- shrinkage).
Mesopelagic, juveniles and adults at 400–800 m by day, postlarvae near surface; diel vertical migrations (often reach surface at night).
Badcock J. 1984. Gonostomatidae. pp. 284–301. In: P.J.P. Whitehead MLB, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen, and E. Tortonese editor. Fishes of the Northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Paris: Unesco. p 1473 pp.
To 220 mm SL.
