Pacific hatchet fish

Argyropelecus affinis

Migrating between depths day and night

Silver
Northern Hemisphere
Regional distribution
Marine fish
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Africa
East Asia
North America
Deep-bodied
Small

Argyropelecus affinis is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Sternoptychidae, described by Garman in 1899, found in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Common names for this fish include Pacific hatchetfish, deepsea hatchetfish and slender hatchetfish. It inhabits the upper mesopelagic zone between 350 and 600m during the day, and between 100m and 350m during the night and is either non-migratory or performs short daily vertical migrations.

Class: Teleosts
Order: Dragonfishes and Allies
Family: Sternoptychidae
Genus: Argyropelecus
Maximum length: 8.4 cm
Water: Marine
Body shape: deep_bodied
Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: occasionally between Azores and Madeira (Ref. 4739 ), also from Senegal to Gulf of Guinea. Western Atlantic: 30°N-30°S, including the Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 27768 ). Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951 ). Indian Ocean: 20°N-20°S. Eastern Pacific: 35°N-35°S. Western Pacific: 30°N-10°S. South China Sea (Ref.74511).
Conservation status: LCLeast Concern

Report a correction