World Register of Deep-Sea species - Myctophidae Gill, 1893

Deep-Sea taxon details

Myctophidae Gill, 1893

AphiaID

125498 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:125498)

Classification

Status

accepted

Rank

Family

Parent

Myctophiformes

Direct children (48)

Ordering

Alphabetically
By status

Children Display

direct main ranks all

Subfamily Diaphinae Paxton, 1972
1. Genus Diaphus Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1890
2. Genus Idiolychnus Nafpaktitis & Paxton, 1978
3. Genus Lobianchia Gatti, 1904
4. Genus Aethoprora Goode & Bean, 1896 accepted as Diaphus Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1890 (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
Subfamily Gymnoscopelinae Paxton, 1972
1. Genus Gymnoscopelus Günther, 1873
2. Genus Hintonia Fraser-Brunner, 1949
3. Genus Lampanyctodes Fraser-Brunner, 1949
4. Genus Lampichthys Fraser-Brunner, 1949
5. Genus Notoscopelus Günther, 1864
6. Genus Scopelopsis Brauer, 1906
Subfamily Lampanyctinae Paxton, 1972
1. Genus Bolinichthys Paxton, 1972
2. Genus Ceratoscopelus Günther, 1864
3. Genus Lampadena Goode & Bean, 1893
4. Genus Lampanyctus Bonaparte, 1840
5. Genus Lepidophanes Fraser-Brunner, 1949
6. Genus Parvilux Hubbs & Wisner, 1964
7. Genus Stenobrachius Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1890
8. Genus Taaningichthys Bolin, 1959
9. Genus Triphoturus Fraser-Brunner, 1949
10. Genus Dorsadena Coleman & Nafpaktitis, 1972 accepted as Lampadena Goode & Bean, 1893 (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
11. Genus Nannobrachium Günther, 1887 accepted as Lampanyctus Bonaparte, 1840 (unaccepted > junior objective synonym)
12. Genus Nanobrachium Günther, 1887 accepted as Nannobrachium Günther, 1887 accepted as Lampanyctus Bonaparte, 1840 (unaccepted > misspelling - incorrect subsequent spelling)
13. Genus Serpa Whitley, 1933 accepted as Lampanyctus Bonaparte, 1840 (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym, Latinisation of Serpe of Risso (1810) and Cloquet (1829))
14. Genus Serpe Cloquet, 1829 accepted as Lampanyctus Bonaparte, 1840 (unaccepted > unavailable name, vernacular name in Risso (1810) and Cloquet (1829))
Subfamily Myctophinae Gill, 1893
1. Genus Benthosema Goode & Bean, 1896
2. Genus Centrobranchus Fowler, 1904
3. Genus Ctenoscopelus Fraser-Brunner, 1949
4. Genus Dasyscopelus Günther, 1864
5. Genus Diogenichthys Bolin, 1939
6. Genus Electrona Goode & Bean, 1896
7. Genus Gonichthys Gistel, 1850
8. Genus Hygophum Bolin, 1939
9. Genus Krefftichthys Hulley, 1981
10. Genus Loweina Fowler, 1925
11. Genus Metelectrona Wisner, 1963
12. Genus Myctophum Rafinesque, 1810
13. Genus Protomyctophum Fraser-Brunner, 1949
14. Genus Symbolophorus Bolin & Wisner, 1959
15. Genus Tarletonbeania Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1890
16. Genus Rhinoscopelus Lütken, 1892 accepted as Gonichthys Gistel, 1850
17. Genus Scopelus Cuvier, 1816 accepted as Myctophum Rafinesque, 1810 (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
Subfamily Notolychninae Paxton, 1972
1. Genus Notolychnus Fraser-Brunner, 1949
2. Genus Vestula Bolin, 1946 accepted as Notolychnus Fraser-Brunner, 1949 (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)

Environment

marine, ~~brackish~~, ~~fresh~~, ~~terrestrial~~

Original description

Not documented

Descriptive notes

Distribution Distribution: circumglobal. Some with small supramaxilla. With subocular shelf. Anal fin origin below or slightly behind...

Distribution Distribution: circumglobal. Some with small supramaxilla. With subocular shelf. Anal fin origin below or slightly behind dorsal fin base. Head and body with groups and rows of small photophores; one species without. Scales cycloid; ctenoid in 4 species. Swim bladder usually present. Vertebrae 28-45. Heavily preyed upon by many marine fishes and mammals. Diurnal migration exhibited by many: most species with peak abundance between 300 and 1200 m by day and between 10 and 100 m at night. [details]

Taxonomic citation

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2025). FishBase. Myctophidae Gill, 1893. Accessed through: Glover, A.G.; Higgs, N.; Horton, T. (2025) World Register of Deep-Sea species (WoRDSS) at: https://www.marinespecies.org/deepsea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125498 on 2026-10-06

Thematic species database citation

Glover, A.G.; Higgs, N.; Horton, T. (2026). World Register of Deep-Sea species (WoRDSS). Myctophidae Gill, 1893. Accessed at: https://marinespecies.org/deepsea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125498 on 2026-10-06

Taxonomic edit history

Date

action

2004-12-21 15:54:05Z

created

van der Land, Jacob

2015-04-17 08:48:21Z

changed

Bailly, Nicolas

2025-12-05 16:32:27Z

changed

Bailly, Nicolas

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taxonomy source Van Der Laan, R.; Eschmeyer, W. N.; Fricke, R. (2014). Family-group names of Recent fishes. Zootaxa. 3882(1): 1-230., available online at https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1 [details] Available for editors

context source (PeRMS) Chirichigno, N.; Cornejo, M. (2001). Catálogo comentado de los peces marinos del Perú. 2ª ed. Instituto del Mar de Perú. Publicación Especial. Callao. 314 p. [details]

basis of record van der Land, J.; Costello, M.J.; Zavodnik, D.; Santos, R.S.; Porteiro, F.M.; Bailly, N.; Eschmeyer, W.N.; Froese, R. (2001). Pisces, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 357-374 (look up in IMIS) [details]

additional source Fricke, R., Eschmeyer, W. N. & Van der Laan, R. (eds). (2026). ECoF. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Genera, Species, References. California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco. Electronic version accessed dd mmm 2026., available online at http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/Ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp [details]

Present

Inaccurate

Introduced: alien

Containing type locality

Unreviewed

Definitions

[show lower level...]

Language	Name
English	lanternfishes	[details]
French	poissons-lanternes	[details]
Japanese	ハダカイワシ科	[details]
Norwegian Bokmål	lysprikkfiskfamilien	[details]
Norwegian Nynorsk	lysprikkfiskfamilien	[details]
Spanish	linternillas	[details]
Swedish	prickfiskar	[details]