Subfamily Malacosteinae

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Introduction

The subfamily Malacosteinae currently includes four genera and 15 species (Kenaley & Stewart 2015). Other workers did not include Pachystomias (Eschmeyer & Fong 2012 and Nelson et al 2016). Seven described species in four genera have been recorded from Australian waters, and an undescribed species of Aristostomias in the CSIRO collection is known from off Fraser Island, Queensland. Morrow (1964) reviewed the Malacosteinae (loosejaws), recognising 12 species in four genera from all major oceans. Kenaley (2007) revised Malacosteus, recognising two species, both recorded from Australia. Kenaley (2009) revised the Indo-Pacific species of Photostomias. Kenaley et al. (2008) treated species found off southern Australia. Recognition of the subfamily has been questioned recently. Schnell & Johnson (2017) suggested that the Melanostomiinae and Malacosteinae are paraphyletic and the Eustomias may belong with the Malacosteniae.

Loosejaws are meso-bathypelagic at depths to 4000 m. Food items include crustaceans and fishes. The common name of these black deepsea fishes refers to the lack of membranes in the floor of the lower jaw, thus allowing the elongate jaws to swing widely while feeding. Species in 3 of the 4 genera emit a red bioluminescence that is invisible to all other mesopelagic fishes. Species rarely reach 20 cm in length.

 

General References

Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fong, J.D. 2012. Species of Fishes by family/subfamily. Catalog of Fishes. Online version updated 15 March 2012. http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp

Kenaley, C.P. 2007. Revision of the stoplight loosejaw genus Malacosteus (Teleostei: Stomiidae:, Malacosteinae), with description of a new species from the temperate Southern Hemisphere and Indian Ocean. Copeia 2007(4): 886-900

Kenaley, C. P. 2009. Revision of Indo-Pacific species of the loosejaw dragonfish genus Photostomias (Teleostei: Stomiidae: Malacosteinae). Copeia 2009(1): 175-189

Kenaley, C.P., Harold, A.S. & Gomon, M.F. 2008. Family Stomiidae. pp. 240-254 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Kenaley, C.P. & Stewart, A.L. 2015. Subfamily Malacosteinae. pp. 524-530 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 2 pp. 1-576.

Kenaley, C.P. & Stewart, A.L. 2015. Subfamily Malacosteinae. pp. 524-530 in Roberts, C.D., Stewart, A.L. & Struthers, C.D. The Fishes of New Zealand. Wellington : Te Papa Press Vol. 2 pp. 1-576.

Morrow, J.E. 1964. Family Malacosteidae. pp. 523-549 figs 141-144 in Olsen, Y.H. (ed.). Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(4): 1-599

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Nelson, J.S., Grande, T.C. & Wilson, M.V.H. 2016. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons 5, 752 pp.

Nelson, L.J., Seeman, O.D. & Shinwari, M.W. 2017. Psorergatoides cf. kerivoulae (Acari: Psorergatidae) induces cutaneous lesions on the wings of Myotis macropus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). Systematic and Applied Acarology 22: 446-448.

Schnell, N.K. & Johnson, D.G. 2017. Evolution of a functional head joint in deep-sea fishes (Stomiidae). PLoS ONE (Public Library of Science) 12(2): e0170224, 11 pp.

 

Common Name References

Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. [261] (Loosejaws)

Harold, A.S. 1999. Families Gonostomatidae, Sternoptychidae, Phosichthyidae, Astronesthidae, Stomiidae, Chauliodontidae, Melanostomiidae, Idiacanthidae, Malacosteidae. pp. 1896-1917 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068. [1916] (FAO) (Loosejaws)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
11-Sep-2020	STOMIIFORMES	14-Nov-2019	MODIFIED	Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM)
		12-Feb-2010	(import)