''Myctophum punctatum'' is a species of mesopelagic fish in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Myctophidae. Its common name is spotted lanternfish, sometimes spelled spotted lanterfish. It is found in the Northern Atlantic and in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

at depths down to 1000m. It is one of the dominant species in midwater assemblages near the

Mid-Atlantic Ridge The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge (a Divergent boundary, divergent or constructive Plate tectonics, plate boundary) located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest mountai ...

. ''Myctophum punctatum'' can grow to SL. It performs diurnal migrations to the surface at dusk. It feeds mostly on

copepod Copepods (; meaning 'oar-feet') are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat (ecology), habitat. Some species are planktonic (living in the water column), some are benthos, benthic (living on the sedimen ...

s and euphausiids. Larvae of ''Myctophum punctatum'' have stalked eyes.

References

Myctophidae Fish of the Atlantic Ocean Fish of the Mediterranean Sea Fish described in 1810 Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque {{Myctophiformes-stub