Sternoptyx obscura Garman 1899

View data on Catalog of Fishes here.

Dorsal-fin rays 10–11; anal-fin rays 14–15; pectoral-fin rays10–11; total gill rakers 7–9; vertebrae 29 (rarely 30). Small species, seldom exceeds 40 mm SL; trunk long and narrow, its length usually longer than depth; dorsal fin long, its length more than 1.3 times the length of dorsal spine; abdominal length along midline from supra-anal photophore to caudal peduncle, less than or equal to body depth at end of dorsal; postabdominal and anal pterygiophore spines long; posterior anal pterygiophores extend behind and at same level of anal photophore group; supra-anal photophore raised above anals one half or less the distance to midline; body margin extends slightly in front of anal photophores before curving ventrally; jaws medium; teeth small; gill-raker tooth plates consist of multiple low spiny ridges; anterior dorsal surface of tongue between branchial arches smooth; few-to-no raised nodules; in preservative, pigment very dark over whole of body; pigment extends in broad band at base of caudal fin rays.

Differs from both S. diaphana and S. pseudobscura in its shorter dorsal spine and longer dorsal fin; longer, narrower trunk, slight extension of body margin in front of anal photophores, broad pigment band on base of caudal rays, and generally dark pigment; differs from S. pseudobscura in its larger supra-anal photophore, small teeth, low gill-raker tooth plates, and smaller mouth; from S. diaphana in its extension of the ventral body margin at same level behind anal photophores.

This species has not been recorded from the Atlantic; it is concentrated north of 10°S latitude in the Indian Ocean, although small catches occur as far as 40°S; occurs in the eastern Bay of Bengal, and abundantly south of Java; occurs off the Philippines and scattered but large catches indicate in all probability a continuous distribution across the equatorial Pacific; occurs abundantly in the tropical east Pacific from California to the Chile-Peru Border.

Depth data is spotty and no depth rate plot was made, however, data indicates a depth range of 650 m to a t least 1000 m; tropical Pacific maximum net depth figures concur in general with this range.

Baird RC. 1971. The Systematics, Distribution, and Zoogeography of the Marine Hatchetfishes (family Sternoptychidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zooology 142(1):1–128.

Baird RC. 1971. The Systematics, Distribution, and Zoogeography of the Marine Hatchetfishes (family Sternoptychidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zooology 142(1):1–128.

Rarely exceed 40 mm SL.

South of Coiba Island, (Pacific) Panama [Eastern Pacific], 6°17'N, 82°05'W.

Lectotype: USNM 177888.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 11; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 12 - 13

Mesopelagic species (Ref. 559). Also Ref. 58302.

fisheries: of no interest

分布於印度-太平洋，包含印度洋南緯15°以北，東經50°以東。爪哇、菲律賓、琉球群島以西及紐西蘭皆有分布，沿著赤道太平洋，加州到智利祕魯邊緣亦有豐富的分布。臺灣分布於東部、西南部及東沙群島附近海域

一般以底拖網捕獲，不具食用經濟價值，通常做為下雜魚用。

小型種類，很少超過40mm SL。D 10-11﹔P 10﹔V 4-6﹔A 13-14﹔GR 6-7﹔脊椎骨28-30。軀幹長且窄，它的體長大於體高。背鰭基部長大於背刀上的背棘長。後腹棘和臀部支鰭骨棘長。臀上發光器ACA到臀鰭發光器#1ACB腹緣的距離小於臀上發光器到中線的距離。前頜骨短，上頜骨長，齒小。較前面的鰓弓上的鰓耙齒板有棘狀脊。銀色體表黑色色素比例高，體色暗，全身皆有黑色色素分布，色素在頭部及背部色素更密集，尾鰭基部邊緣有寬帶。

大洋性中層魚類。以橈腳類、端足類、介形蟲、磷蝦和小魚等為食。