Argyropelecus

<i>Argyropelecus</i>

Argyropelecus

Genus of deep sea hatchetfishes

Argyropelecus is an oceanic ray-finned fish genus in the deep sea hatchetfish family Sternoptychidae. A collective name is "silver hatchetfishes", but this can also refer to a species of the freshwater hatchetfishes which are not particularly closely related to this. The large pupils of these marine hatchetfishes enable them to see dim objects in the deep sea, where light barely penetrates.

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Diversity ...

Species

There are currently seven recognized extant species in this genus:[1]

The earliest unequivocal fossils of Argyropelecus date from the start of the Chattian stage of the Late Oligocene[2] The original assessment of Eocene-aged otoliths from Austria assigned to this genus is now questioned.[2]

References

  1. [1]
    Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). Species of Argyropelecus in FishBase. February 2012 version.
  2. [2]
    Carnevale, Giorgio. "Redescription and phylogenetic relationships of Argyropelecus logearti (Teleostei: Stomiiformes: Sternoptychidae), with a brief review of fossil Argyropelecus." Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia (Research In Paleontology and Stratigraphy) 109.1 (2003).
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