Longfin Dragonfish, Bathophilus longipinnis (Pappenheim 1914)

Illustration of a Longfin Dragonfish, Bathophilus longipinnis, highlighting the ventral photophore series anterior to pelvic-fin base (IC) and the lateral photophore series(OA). Source: From Sutton et al. (2020) FAO mesopelagic fishes of the Central and South East Atlantic Ocean. License: CC By Attribution-NonCommercial

Summary:

A deep black dragonfish with white fins and a yellowish barbel, and the pelvic-fin bases at about midbody, and about equidistant between the dorsal and ventral profiles of the body.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2020, Bathophilus longipinnis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/4430

Longfin Dragonfish, Bathophilus longipinnis (Pappenheim 1914)

More Info

Distribution	Coral Sea, east of Cairns, Queensland, to the Tasman Sea off Brush Island, southern New South Wales. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the Atlantic and Indo-west-central Pacific.
Features	Dorsal fin 13-14; Anal fin 12-14; Pectoral fin 6-8; IC photophores (ventral series anterior to pelvic-fin base) 30-33; OA photophores (lateral photophore series) 23-25. Pelvic-fin bases positioned at about midbody, and about equidistant between dorsal and ventral profiles.
Feeding	Feeds mostly on mesopelagic fishes and crustaceans.
Etymology	The specific name longipinnis is from the Latin longus (= long) and pinnis (= fin).
Species Citation	Melanostomias longipinnis Pappenheim 1914, Die Tiefsee-Fische. Deutsche Südpolar Expedition 15(7): 170, fig. 1. Type locality: North Atlantic [24°41´N, 32°21´W].
Author	Bray, D.J. 2020
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Longfin Dragonfish, Bathophilus longipinnis (Pappenheim 1914)

References

Bigelow, H.B., Cohen, D.M., Dick, M.M., Gibbs Jr., R.H., Grey, M., Morrow Jr., J.E., Schultz, L.P. & Walters, V. 1964. Soft-Rayed Bony Fishes: Orders Isospondyli and Giganturoidei: Argentinoids, Stomiatoids, Pickerels, Bathylaconids, Giganturids. in Olsen, Y.H. (ed.) 1964. Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(4): 1-599.

Gibbs, R. H., Jr. 1986. Family No. 72: Melanostomiidae. pp. 229-243 in Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (eds). Smith's Sea Fishes. Johannesburg : Macmillan South Africa xx + 1047 pp. 144 pls.

Gibbs, R.H. Jr & Barnett, M.A. 1990. Family Melanostomiidae. pp. 50-53 in Quéro, J.-C., Hureau, J.-C., Karrer, C., Post, A. & Saldanha, L. (eds). Check-list of the Fishes of the Eastern Tropical Atlantic. Paris : UNESCO 1492 pp., 3 vols.

Harold, A.S. 1999. Families Gonostomatidae, Sternoptychidae, Phosichthyidae, Astronesthidae, Stomiidae, Chauliodontidae, Melanostomiidae, Idiacanthidae, Malacosteidae. pp. 1896-1917 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.

Harold, A. 2015. Bathophilus longipinnis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T21132935A21909264. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T21132935A21909264.en. Downloaded on 14 October 2020.

Pappenheim, P. 1914. Die Fische der deutschen Südpolar-Exped. 1901–1903. II. Die Tiefsee-Fische. Deutsche Südpolar Expedition 15(7): 161-200 figs 1-10 pls 9-10 See ref at BHL

Regan, C.T. & Trewavas, E. 1930. The fishes of the families Stomiatidae and Malacosteidae. Dana Reports 1920–22 6: 1-143 figs 1-138 pls 1-14

Sutton, T.T. & Hopkins, T.L. 1996. Trophic ecology of the stomiid (Pisces: Stomiidae) fish assemblage of the eastern Gulf of Mexico: strategies, selectivity and impact of a top mesopelagic predator group. Marine Biology 127: 179-192.

Sutton, T.T., Hulley, P.A., Wienerroither, R., Zaera-Perez, D. & Paxton, J.R. 2020. Identification guide to the mesopelagic fishes of the Central and South East Atlantic Ocean. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome: i-xvi + 1-327. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb0365en