Black Loosejaw, Malacosteus niger Ayres, 1848

Scientific name: Malacosteus niger
  • Author(s)
    Mark McGrouther
  • Updated
    20/01/21
  • Read time
    2 minutes
Stoplight Loosejaw, Malacosteus niger Ayres, 1848 Click to enlarge image
A 13 cm long loosejaw (identified as Malacosteus sp) trawled during the NORFANZ expedition at a depth between 1051m and 1320m in New Zealand waters, May 2003. Image: Robin McPhee
© NORFANZ Founding Parties

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Malacosteus
    Species
    niger
    Subfamily
    Malacosteinae
    Family
    Stomiidae
    Order
    Stomiiformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    The species grows to 24 cm in length.

Introduction

The Black Loosejaw is an elongate, compressed fish. Its jaws are much longer than the skull. It is found in the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific.

Stoplight Loosejaw, Malacosteus niger Ayres, 1848
A 13 cm long loosejaw (identified as Malacosteus sp) trawled during the NORFANZ expedition at a depth between 1051 m and 1320 m in New Zealand waters, May 2003. Image: Robin McPhee
© NORFANZ Founding Parties

Identification

The Black Loosejaw is an elongate, compressed fish. Its jaws are much longer than the skull. There is a comma-shaped photophore under the eye and a circular photophore behind the eye. In life, these photophores are red and green respectively. The head and body are black.

Habitat

The species is found at bathypelagic and mesopelagic depths.

Distribution

It occurs in the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific. In Australia it is known from off New South Wales, Tasmania and Western Australia

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia

References

  1. Gomon, M.F. & E.M. Robertson in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
  2. Harold, A.S. 1999. Malacosteidae. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 3. Batoid fishes, chimaeras and bony fishes part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-vi, 1398-2068.
  3. Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen & J.E. Hanley. 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol. 7 Pisces Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Survey. Pp. i-xii, 1-665.