View data on Catalog of Fishes here.
pectoral finrays 31–57; pelvic finrays 16–24. Photophores in ventral row between pectoral and pelvic fin insertions (PV) 12, between pelvic fin insertion and end of row over anal fin (VAV) 11–13, total in ventral row from isthmus to tail (IC) 33–35; in lateral row to pelvic fin insertion (OV) 12, from pelvic fin insertion to end of row over anal fin (VAL) 10–12, total in lateral row (OA) 21–23. Color of head and body black with iridescent blue, green or bronze.
from halfway between the Azores and Ireland (c. 45–46° N, 16–17°W); off Gibraltar; also, the western Mediterranean. Elsewhere, eastern Atlantic from 25° N to 2° S and off South Africa; also, western Atlantic between 20° and 27° N and from 9° to 36° S.
meso- to bathypelagic
Gibbs RH, Jr. 1984. Melanostomiidae. In: Whitehead PJP, Bauchot M-L, Hureau J-C, Nielsen J, Tortonese E, editors. Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Paris: UNESCO. p 341–365.
to about 12 cm.
View original type description here.
