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Obese Dragonfish
Opostomias micripnus (Günther, 1878)
The Obese Dragonfish is a deepwater pelagic species. It is recognised by its scaleless, black body and large mouth with long fang-like teeth, the anterior-most in the lower jaw piercing the upper jaw. It has a chin barbel, photophores (light-producing organs) in rows along the body and a photophore behind and below both eyes. The dorsal fin is similar to the anal fin and located above it.
This species is recorded from the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, down to a depth of 5000m. In Australia it is known to occur in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
The Obese Dragonfish grows to at least 55cm in length. It is one of the largest species in the family Melanostomiidae.
The fish in the image was collected east of Kiama, New South Wales, and is registered in the Australian Museum Fish Collection as AMS I.20071-037.
Further Reading
- Gomon, M.F. & E.M. Robertson. in Gomon, M.F, C.J.M. Glover & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- More on photophores.
