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Dorsal-fin rays 11–12; anal-fin rays 17 (rarely 18 or 19); pectoral-fin rays 13–14; gill rakers (rarely 15) 16–18 (rarely 19); vertebrae 33. Body broad, tapering into narrow caudal peduncle; its height slightly greater than length of subcaudal photophore group; anal pterygiophore spines, and its narrower trunk and caudal peduncle; post-temporal spine short, needlelike; dorsal spine short; preopercle spine short, triangulate; abdominal keel scales extend only slightly below ventral body margin; first supra-anal photophore markedly lower than other two; first supra-abdominal raised above others, second lower than third, jaw medium to small; teeth minute; gill rakers medium, spinose; in preservative, pigment dark dorsally; dark pigment bar reaches almost to midline followed by light stripe reaching towards mid-dorsal line; ventral margin of dark dorsal pigment markedly raised on trunk above supra-anal photophores; pigment spots present on trunk midline, striations not distinct.
Post-temporal spine simple, bearing no basal spines; lateral edge of post-temporal-supracleithrum smooth; keel scales with smooth ventral surfaces; supraanal photophores separate, usually raised well above anal group. Post-temporal spine short, its length less than one-fourth the diameter of orbit; anal photophore number 7 to 9;body robust, less than 1.9 times body depth; first supra-anal photophore markedly lower than second. Teeth absent on posterior vomerine shaft; second supra-anal photophore even with or raised above third; supra-abdominal photophores nonsymmetrical, first photophore raised well above other two. Gill rakers usually 16 to 18; dorsal-fin rays 11 to 12; lower margin of dark dorsal pigment markedly raised above supra-anal photophores.
Known from off the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.
Baird RC. 1971. The Systematics, Distribution, and Zoogeography of the Marine Hatchetfishes (family Sternoptychidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zooology 142(1):1–128.
Baird RC. 1971. The Systematics, Distribution, and Zoogeography of the Marine Hatchetfishes (family Sternoptychidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zooology 142(1):1–128.
To approximately 50 mm SL.
Near Philippines, 13°35'30"N, 121°48'E, Albatross station 5368, depth 181 fathoms.
Holotype: USNM 103027.
