73: PHOTICHTHYIDAE (LIGHTFISHES)
2a End of D opposite or behind A origin;
branchiostegal rays 9-14; BR photophores 8-12;
OA photophores 19-25 ....................................................... 3
2b Entire D well in front of A origin;
branchiostegal rays 11-21; BR photophores
14-18; OA photophores 29-34 .............................................. 5
3a One ORB photophore, below front margin of eye;
premaxillary teeth biserial; AC photophores 22-25 ...... Polymetme
3b ORB photophores 2, 1 below or in front of front
margin of eye and 1 below rear margin of eye; AC
photophores 12-21 ...... ....................................................... 4
4a A 22-30; AC photophores 18-21 ............................... Pollichthys
4b A 12-16; AC photophores 12-16 ............................. Vinciguerria
5a V origin behind D origin; branchiostegal rays
11-12; BR photophores 11-12; jaws short, maxilla
not reaching past eye; adipose fin long, its base
longer than horizontal diameter of eye ................... Ichthyococcus
5b V origin anterior to D origin; branchiostegal rays 17-21;
jaws long, maxilla reaching well past eye; adipose fin
short, its base considerably shorter than horizontal eye
diameter ......................................................................... 6
6a A 23-26; AC photophores 16-18; elongate GR on
1st arch, total 15-16 .............................................. Photichthys
6b A 14-16; AC photophores 12-24; 2-14 GR of short
rudimentary spines, others elongate ............................. Woodsia
Genus Ichthyococcus Bonaparte, 1841
Eye large, tubular, directed obliquely upward. Teeth
on jaws minute, uniserial; vomer (usually), palatines,
pterygoids and tongue toothless. Photo ph ores moderate to
large: ORB 2 (posterior ORB midventral to eye); OP 3; BR
11-12; SO present or absent, no other photo ph ores on head;
body with 2 rows; AC photophores level, 8th IV photophore elevated, OA level, ending at about A origin; no
other luminous tissue on head or body. Dorsal adipose fin
long and low; small preanal ventral adipose fin present or
absent. Anal fin base subequal to or slightly shorter than D
base, its origin well behind end of D base. V base behind D
origin. Anus close to A origin. Seven species, 3 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a No ventral adipose fin; last 5-6 AC behind A base ........ 1. australis
Ib Ventral adipose fin present, last 3-4 AC behind A base .............. 2
2a Interorbital width 5-6% HL; body depth 2.6-3.0 in
SL; SO absent ......................................................... I. ovatus
2b Interorbital width 7.5-10% HL; body depth 3.0-3.5
in SL; SO present in fish> 17 mm SL ............................. I. polli
73.1 Ichthyococcus australis
Mukhacheva, 1980
Ichthyococcus australis Mukhacheva, 1980: 9 (Tasman Sea); Krefft,
1983: 295*.
D 14-15; A 14-17; P 8; V 7; total GR 30-35; vertebrae 48-51. Body depth
23.8-26.1 % SL. Photophores conspicuous: ORB 2, OP 3, SO 1, BR 12, IV
27-29, VAV 14-17, AC 13-15, IC 56-59, OA 32-35. Ventral adipose fin
absent.
244
Brown-yellow, flanks silver; bases of fins and edges of
scale pockets black. Attains 12 cm. Circumglobal in Subtropical Convergence region of southern hemisphere with
records between 30
0
S and 40 0 S in Atlantic sector of our
region.
73.2 Ichthyococcus ovatus
(Cocco, 1838)
Gonostoma ovatus Cocco, 1838: 169, PI. 5, Fig. 3 (Messina).
Ichthyococcus ovatus: Grey, 1964: 155*; Mukhacheva, 1980: 4.
D 11-12; A 15-17; P 7-8; V 6-7; total GR 19-25; LL 33- 38; vertebrae
38-42. Supraorbital crests converging, upper parts contacting above
midorbit. Body depth 32-36% SL. Photophores conspicuous, closely set:
ORB 2, OP 3, BR 11-12, IV 24-26, VA V 9-11, AC 12-14, IC 46-50, OA
23-27. Ventral adipose fin present.
Brown-yellow, flanks silver; bases of fins and edges of
scale pockets black. Attains ca. 55 mm. Subtropical waters
of all oceans, Mediterranean Sea; likely to occur around
South Africa; adults mainly in 200 - 500 m.
73.2 Ichthyococcus ovatus: 3 em SL (after Grey, 1964).
73.3 Ichthyococcus polli
Blache, 1963
Ichthyococcus polli Blache, 1963: 468, Figs. 1-3 (Gulf of Guinea);
Mukhacheva, 1980: 8; Kreftt, 1983: 303.
D 11-14; A 14-17; P 7-8; total GR 20-26; LL 40-43; vertebrae 43-45.
Body depth 26.9-31.9% SL. Photophores: ORB 2, OP 3, SO 1, BR 12-13,
IV 25-27, VA V 12-14, AC 12-14, IC 51-53, OA 28-29. Ventral adiposefin
present.
Brown-yellow, flanks silver; bases of fins and edges of
scale pockets black. Attains ca. 90 mm. Adults mainly in
73.3 Ichthyococcus polli: 4 em SL syntype (after Blaehe, 1963).
2a End of D opposite or behind A origin;
branchiostegal rays 9-14; BR photophores 8-12;
OA photophores 19-25 ....................................................... 3
2b Entire D well in front of A origin;
branchiostegal rays 11-21; BR photophores
14-18; OA photophores 29-34 .............................................. 5
3a One ORB photophore, below front margin of eye;
premaxillary teeth biserial; AC photophores 22-25 ...... Polymetme
3b ORB photophores 2, 1 below or in front of front
margin of eye and 1 below rear margin of eye; AC
photophores 12-21 ...... ....................................................... 4
4a A 22-30; AC photophores 18-21 ............................... Pollichthys
4b A 12-16; AC photophores 12-16 ............................. Vinciguerria
5a V origin behind D origin; branchiostegal rays
11-12; BR photophores 11-12; jaws short, maxilla
not reaching past eye; adipose fin long, its base
longer than horizontal diameter of eye ................... Ichthyococcus
5b V origin anterior to D origin; branchiostegal rays 17-21;
jaws long, maxilla reaching well past eye; adipose fin
short, its base considerably shorter than horizontal eye
diameter ......................................................................... 6
6a A 23-26; AC photophores 16-18; elongate GR on
1st arch, total 15-16 .............................................. Photichthys
6b A 14-16; AC photophores 12-24; 2-14 GR of short
rudimentary spines, others elongate ............................. Woodsia
Genus Ichthyococcus Bonaparte, 1841
Eye large, tubular, directed obliquely upward. Teeth
on jaws minute, uniserial; vomer (usually), palatines,
pterygoids and tongue toothless. Photo ph ores moderate to
large: ORB 2 (posterior ORB midventral to eye); OP 3; BR
11-12; SO present or absent, no other photo ph ores on head;
body with 2 rows; AC photophores level, 8th IV photophore elevated, OA level, ending at about A origin; no
other luminous tissue on head or body. Dorsal adipose fin
long and low; small preanal ventral adipose fin present or
absent. Anal fin base subequal to or slightly shorter than D
base, its origin well behind end of D base. V base behind D
origin. Anus close to A origin. Seven species, 3 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a No ventral adipose fin; last 5-6 AC behind A base ........ 1. australis
Ib Ventral adipose fin present, last 3-4 AC behind A base .............. 2
2a Interorbital width 5-6% HL; body depth 2.6-3.0 in
SL; SO absent ......................................................... I. ovatus
2b Interorbital width 7.5-10% HL; body depth 3.0-3.5
in SL; SO present in fish> 17 mm SL ............................. I. polli
73.1 Ichthyococcus australis
Mukhacheva, 1980
Ichthyococcus australis Mukhacheva, 1980: 9 (Tasman Sea); Krefft,
1983: 295*.
D 14-15; A 14-17; P 8; V 7; total GR 30-35; vertebrae 48-51. Body depth
23.8-26.1 % SL. Photophores conspicuous: ORB 2, OP 3, SO 1, BR 12, IV
27-29, VAV 14-17, AC 13-15, IC 56-59, OA 32-35. Ventral adipose fin
absent.
244
Brown-yellow, flanks silver; bases of fins and edges of
scale pockets black. Attains 12 cm. Circumglobal in Subtropical Convergence region of southern hemisphere with
records between 30
0
S and 40 0 S in Atlantic sector of our
region.
73.2 Ichthyococcus ovatus
(Cocco, 1838)
Gonostoma ovatus Cocco, 1838: 169, PI. 5, Fig. 3 (Messina).
Ichthyococcus ovatus: Grey, 1964: 155*; Mukhacheva, 1980: 4.
D 11-12; A 15-17; P 7-8; V 6-7; total GR 19-25; LL 33- 38; vertebrae
38-42. Supraorbital crests converging, upper parts contacting above
midorbit. Body depth 32-36% SL. Photophores conspicuous, closely set:
ORB 2, OP 3, BR 11-12, IV 24-26, VA V 9-11, AC 12-14, IC 46-50, OA
23-27. Ventral adipose fin present.
Brown-yellow, flanks silver; bases of fins and edges of
scale pockets black. Attains ca. 55 mm. Subtropical waters
of all oceans, Mediterranean Sea; likely to occur around
South Africa; adults mainly in 200 - 500 m.
73.2 Ichthyococcus ovatus: 3 em SL (after Grey, 1964).
73.3 Ichthyococcus polli
Blache, 1963
Ichthyococcus polli Blache, 1963: 468, Figs. 1-3 (Gulf of Guinea);
Mukhacheva, 1980: 8; Kreftt, 1983: 303.
D 11-14; A 14-17; P 7-8; total GR 20-26; LL 40-43; vertebrae 43-45.
Body depth 26.9-31.9% SL. Photophores: ORB 2, OP 3, SO 1, BR 12-13,
IV 25-27, VA V 12-14, AC 12-14, IC 51-53, OA 28-29. Ventral adiposefin
present.
Brown-yellow, flanks silver; bases of fins and edges of
scale pockets black. Attains ca. 90 mm. Adults mainly in
73.3 Ichthyococcus polli: 4 em SL syntype (after Blaehe, 1963).