Family Neoscopelidae
Taxonomy: Small family with 3 genera and 6 described species; a single genus, Neoscopelus, with 3 described and one undescribed species known from Australian waters.
Distribution, ecology and habitat: Worldwide in all three oceans in tropical and subtropical waters; most species benthopelagic over continental slope waters at 300-800 m, though one genus not found in Australian waters is meso- and bathypelagic.
Characteristics:
Body slightly compressed to moderately robust and somewhat elongated, eye small to large, diameter less than or rarely equal to snout length; mouth large, jaws extending to middle of eye or far beyond posterior margin of eye, teeth in villiform rows; fins large, single dorsal fin originating above or in front of pelvic fin base, anal-fin origin well behind dorsal-fin base, pectoral and pelvic fins elongate, reaching to about anus, dorsal adipose fin present; scales large, cycloid, weakly attached; one genus, Neoscopelus, with conspicuous rows of light organs or photophores ventrolaterally on body and in a single series along edge of tongue; no other luminous tissue. Swim bladder well-developed. Like myctophids, the neoscopelid maxilla lacks teeth and is excluded from edge of mouth by the premaxilla; supramaxillae long, slender.
Size: to slightly more than 30 cm.
Food and feeding: unknown
Reproduction and early life history: Oviparous with planktonic eggs and larvae. Larvae have deep, stout bodies, elongate, robust guts; head large, mouth large, jaws with sharp teeth. Pectoral fins appear first and become elongate, reaching beyond anus. Larval pigment restricted to patches on the end of the gut, above the gas bladder; postflexion larvae develop pigment above the brain. Metamorphose at about 18-19 mm SL
Fisheries: of no commercial importance
Remarks: Little known of biology; intrinsic bioluminescence in Neoscopelus.
Australian species:
- Neoscopelus macrolepidotus Johnson, 1863 Largescaled Neoscopelid CAAB 37121001
- Neoscopelus microchir Matsubara, 1943 Shortfin Neoscopelid CAAB 37121002
- Neoscopelus porosus Arai, 1969 Spangleside Neoscopelid CAAB 37121003
References:
Becker, V.E. & Y.N. Shcherbachev. 1990. Benthopelagic species of the families Neoscopelidae and Myctophidae from the Indian Ocean, with a description of a new species of Diaphus. Voprosy Ikhtiol. 30(5): 845-855. [In Russian. English transl. in J. Ichthyol. 30(7): 122-134.]
Nafpaktitis, B.G. 1977. Family Neoscopelidae. In Fishes of the Western North Atlantic, Gibbs, R.H. et al. (eds) Mem. Sears Fndn. Mar. Res. 1(7): 1-12.
Paxton, J.R. & P.A. Hulley. 1999. Families Neoscopelidae and Myctophidae, pp. 1955-1965, In Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem. Species identification guide for fisheries purposes. The living marine resources of the western central Pacific. Batoid fishes, chimeras and bony fishes part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome.
Moser, H.G. 1996. The early stages of fishes in the California Current region. CALCOFI ATLAS No. 33. Allen Press Inc., Lawrence, Kansas.
Stiassny, M.L.J. 1997. Neoscopelidae. Blackchins. Version 01 January 1997 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Neoscopelidae/15173/1997.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/