Family No. 61: ARGENTINIDAE
by D. M. Cohen
Argentines
Argentyne
Body elongate, generally silvery. Dorsal fin single; anal
fin on rear fourth of body. No spines in fins. Mouth small;
snout short and blunt. Teeth absent on upper jaw bones.
Scales cycloid, deciduous. Branchiostegal rays 2-6.
Swim bladder present. No photophores or other luminous
tissue.
Species in the Subfamily Argentininae are benthopelagic
on the outer shelf and upper slope; species in the Subfamily
Microstomatinae are mesopelagic. Found around the
world, with commercially important species in the North
Atlantic and at Japan. Five genera and at least 50 species.
Partial review by Cohen & Atsaides (1969).
KEY TO SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA
la P on ventrolateral edge' of body ; LL not extending
onto C; (Subfamily Argentininae) .. .... . . . .. .. ...... . . 2
Ib P nearly midlateral ; LL extending onto C; (Subfamily
Microstomatinae) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2a Tongue with strong teeth on front and sides; a
continuous band of closely spaced , posteriorly
directed teeth along front end of vomer and on
palatines; maxillaries separated by at least one half
width of broad, underlying mesethmoid . . . . . . . . . .. Argentina
~\Wi§h !Pj
/'
~
. 'I "
r \'
. ,
2b Tongue teeth absent or small , if present , on front
end only; vomerine and palatine teeth few and
scattered, well behind front edge of vomer;
maxillaries touching in midline or very close
p
p
3a Adipose D present; V inserted behind a vertical
Glossanodon
from D origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nansenia
3b Adipose fin absent ; V inserted ahead of D . ... . ... Microstoma
Genus Argentina Linnaeus, 1758
Twelve species; 1 in our area .
61.1 Argentina euchus
Cohen, 1961
Argentina euchus Cohen, 1961 : 19, Fig. 1 (Indian Ocean, 25°20'S,
35°17'E; 590 m); Cohen & Atsaides, 1969: 33. Argentina sphyraena (non
Linnaeus): Smith, SFSA No. 127 (Figure is Argentina silus) .
6\: ARGENTINIDAE (ARGENTINES)
D 11-12; A 12-15; P 16-18; V 10-11; LL47-50; lowerGR6; vertebrae 4748. Depth 6.5-8 .4; head 3.2-3 .6.
Preserved specimens with a dark brown band along
flanks , paler below. Reaches 15 cm . Taken in bottom
trawls, apparently rare . Kenya to Natal at depths to 590 m.
61.1 Argentina euchus: 14.5 em paratype (S. Mozambique).
Genus Glossanodon Guichenot, 1867
Eight described species; in our area a single specimen (in
poor condition) that cannot be identified to species, deposited in the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology .
Genus Microstoma Cuvier, 1816
A single species.
61.2 Microstoma microstoma
(Risso, 1810)
Gasteropelecus microstoma Risso, 1810: 356 (Nice). Microstoma
microstoma: Cohen , 1964: 28' ; Krefft, 1974: 231 (probably to 25°S in the
eastern Atlantic).
D 10-12; A 7-9; P 7-8; V 9-11; LL 50-53 (including scales on base of C);
vertebrae 44-45 . Depth 13-13.6; head 4.9-5 .3. Eye notably large .
Body silvery, darker near tail. Reaches 21 cm or larger.
Mesopelagic. Probably circumtropical; occasionally taken
in temperate seas as well.
61.2 Microstoma microstoma: 21 em (after Bini , 1970).
Genus Nansenia Jordan & Evermann, 1896
Ten described species; probably 2 species in our area, one
of which is unrecorded in the literature and may be undescribed.
61.3 Nansenia macrolepis
(Gilchrist, 1922)
Bathymacrops macrolepis Gilchrist, 1922: 53, PI. 9, Fig. 2 (Natal) ;
Smith , SFSA No. 129*. Nansenia macrolepis: Cohen , 1958: 56.
D 10-11; A 11 ; P 13-16; V 11; LL 46-50 (including scales on base of C);
GR 11-21. Depth 8.1:9.2; head 4.7-4.8.
215
by D. M. Cohen
Argentines
Argentyne
Body elongate, generally silvery. Dorsal fin single; anal
fin on rear fourth of body. No spines in fins. Mouth small;
snout short and blunt. Teeth absent on upper jaw bones.
Scales cycloid, deciduous. Branchiostegal rays 2-6.
Swim bladder present. No photophores or other luminous
tissue.
Species in the Subfamily Argentininae are benthopelagic
on the outer shelf and upper slope; species in the Subfamily
Microstomatinae are mesopelagic. Found around the
world, with commercially important species in the North
Atlantic and at Japan. Five genera and at least 50 species.
Partial review by Cohen & Atsaides (1969).
KEY TO SUBFAMILIES AND GENERA
la P on ventrolateral edge' of body ; LL not extending
onto C; (Subfamily Argentininae) .. .... . . . .. .. ...... . . 2
Ib P nearly midlateral ; LL extending onto C; (Subfamily
Microstomatinae) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2a Tongue with strong teeth on front and sides; a
continuous band of closely spaced , posteriorly
directed teeth along front end of vomer and on
palatines; maxillaries separated by at least one half
width of broad, underlying mesethmoid . . . . . . . . . .. Argentina
~\Wi§h !Pj
/'
~
. 'I "
r \'
. ,
2b Tongue teeth absent or small , if present , on front
end only; vomerine and palatine teeth few and
scattered, well behind front edge of vomer;
maxillaries touching in midline or very close
p
p
3a Adipose D present; V inserted behind a vertical
Glossanodon
from D origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nansenia
3b Adipose fin absent ; V inserted ahead of D . ... . ... Microstoma
Genus Argentina Linnaeus, 1758
Twelve species; 1 in our area .
61.1 Argentina euchus
Cohen, 1961
Argentina euchus Cohen, 1961 : 19, Fig. 1 (Indian Ocean, 25°20'S,
35°17'E; 590 m); Cohen & Atsaides, 1969: 33. Argentina sphyraena (non
Linnaeus): Smith, SFSA No. 127 (Figure is Argentina silus) .
6\: ARGENTINIDAE (ARGENTINES)
D 11-12; A 12-15; P 16-18; V 10-11; LL47-50; lowerGR6; vertebrae 4748. Depth 6.5-8 .4; head 3.2-3 .6.
Preserved specimens with a dark brown band along
flanks , paler below. Reaches 15 cm . Taken in bottom
trawls, apparently rare . Kenya to Natal at depths to 590 m.
61.1 Argentina euchus: 14.5 em paratype (S. Mozambique).
Genus Glossanodon Guichenot, 1867
Eight described species; in our area a single specimen (in
poor condition) that cannot be identified to species, deposited in the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology .
Genus Microstoma Cuvier, 1816
A single species.
61.2 Microstoma microstoma
(Risso, 1810)
Gasteropelecus microstoma Risso, 1810: 356 (Nice). Microstoma
microstoma: Cohen , 1964: 28' ; Krefft, 1974: 231 (probably to 25°S in the
eastern Atlantic).
D 10-12; A 7-9; P 7-8; V 9-11; LL 50-53 (including scales on base of C);
vertebrae 44-45 . Depth 13-13.6; head 4.9-5 .3. Eye notably large .
Body silvery, darker near tail. Reaches 21 cm or larger.
Mesopelagic. Probably circumtropical; occasionally taken
in temperate seas as well.
61.2 Microstoma microstoma: 21 em (after Bini , 1970).
Genus Nansenia Jordan & Evermann, 1896
Ten described species; probably 2 species in our area, one
of which is unrecorded in the literature and may be undescribed.
61.3 Nansenia macrolepis
(Gilchrist, 1922)
Bathymacrops macrolepis Gilchrist, 1922: 53, PI. 9, Fig. 2 (Natal) ;
Smith , SFSA No. 129*. Nansenia macrolepis: Cohen , 1958: 56.
D 10-11; A 11 ; P 13-16; V 11; LL 46-50 (including scales on base of C);
GR 11-21. Depth 8.1:9.2; head 4.7-4.8.
215