''Dasyscopelus asper'', previously ''Myctophum asperum'', common name the prickly lanternfish, is a species of deep sea 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, the "lanternfish".

Description

This species has large eyes and grows to a maximum

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies, for data used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fishery biology. Overall length Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish measured f ...

of approximately .

Distribution

''Dasyscopelus asper'' is found in the following regions: *Western

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

from 20° north to

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, and also occurs in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

. *Eastern Atlantic Ocean, occurring from

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

in the Agulhas water pockets. *Northwest Atlantic near Canada. *Indo-Pacific in the following currents: :*North and south equatorial currents :*Equatorial countercurrents :*East Australian and Agulhas currents *Eastern Central Pacific. *South China Sea and East China Sea Larvae have also been found in the

Taiwan Strait The Taiwan Strait is a strait separating the island of Taiwan and the Asian continent. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide. Names Former names of the Tai ...

Habitat

This species is found at depths of between 425 and 750 metres during the day. At night it can ascend to depths of 125 metres to feed on plankton.

References

Myctophidae Fish of the Atlantic Ocean Fish of the Indian Ocean Fish of the Pacific Ocean Taxa named by John Richardson (naturalist) Fish described in 1845 {{Myctophiformes-stub