Photostomias tantillux Kenaley 2009


Summary:
A small species of Photostomias with females maturing at lengths less that 7 cm.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2022, Photostomias tantillux in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2704

Photostomias tantillux Kenaley 2009

More Info


Distribution

Coral Sea off Cape York, Queensland; also the Tasman Sea, north-west of Norfolk Island. Elsewhere, the species is widespread in the tropical and subtropical East-Indo-west Pacific, appproximately between latitudes 33°N to 31°S.

Features

Distinguished by the following set of characters: postorbital photophore (PO) small in males greater than 60 mm, 12.1- 20.0% upper jaw length (UJL) (vs. moderate to large, 21.0-46.6% UJL, in P. liemi and P. lucingens; female PO small, 7.9-10.8% UJL (vs. moderate to large, 9.4-18.9% UJL, in all other Australian species of Photostomias; accessory orbital (AO) small to moderate in males greater than 60 mm, 2.1-7.4% UJL (vs. small, 2.4-4.7% UJL, in P. lucingens); females maturing (ova > 0.2 mm) at approximately 70 mm (vs. 100 mm in P. liemi); three tooth patches at posterior end of the first, second, and third basibranchials; total of dorsal- and anal-fin rays 48-52, rarely 53 (Kenaley 2009) 

Biology

Females mature at approx. 7 cm SL, and males mature at approximately 6 cm.

Similar Species

Differs from other Photostomias species in having the following set of characters: postorbital photophore (PO) small in males greater than 60 mm, 12.1- 20.0% upper jaw length (UJL) (vs. moderate to large, 21.0-46.6% UJL, in P. atroxP. liemi, and P. lucingens; female PO small, 7.9-10.8% UJL (vs. moderate to large, 9.4-18.9% UJL, in all other species of Photostomias except P. guernei; accessory orbital (AO) small to moderate in males greater than 60 mm, 2.1-7.4% UJL (vs. small, 2.4-4.7% UJL, in P. lucingens); females maturing (ova > 0.2 mm) at approximately 70 mm (vs. 100 mm in P. atrox and P. liemi); three tooth patches at posterior end of the first, second, and third basibranchials (vs. 2 basibranchial tooth patches in P. guernei); total of dorsal- and anal-fin rays 48-52, rarely 53 (vs. 57-63, rarely 56, in P. goodyeari).

Etymology

The specific name tantillux is from the Latin tantillus (= so little, so small) and lux (= light), in reference to the small size of the postorbital photophore of this species.

Species Citation

Photostomias tantillux Kenaley 2009, Copeia 2009(1): 176. Type locality: Eastern tropical Pacific, 0°06.8'N, 155°18.7"W, depth ca. 0-1558 m.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2022

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Photostomias tantillux Kenaley 2009

References


Fricke, R., Kulbicki, M. and Wantiez, L. 2011. Checklist of the fishes of New Caledonia, and their distribution in the Southwest Pacific Ocean (Pisces). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A, Neue Serie 4: 341-463.

Kenaley, C.P. 2009. Revision of Indo-Pacific species of the loosejaw dragonfish genus Photostomias (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Malacosteinae). Copeia 1: 175-189. https://doi.org/10.1643/CI-07-224

Williams, A. 2020. Photostomias tantillux. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T141375113A141781683. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T141375113A141781683.en. Accessed on 25 October 2022.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37112004

Biology:Bioluminescent

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:1138-3100 m

Habitat:Bathypelagic

Max Size:10 cm SL

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map