Introduction

The Neoscopelidae comprise three genera and six described species worldwide. One genus, with three described and one undescribed species, occurs in Australian waters. The undescribed species found in Australian waters off the Northwest Shelf, Western Australia (117º41´-118º17´E) in 396-420 m is closely related to Neoscopelus microchir. The family was reviewed by Nafpaktitis (1977).

Neoscopelids are known to occur in all three oceans. Neoscopelus, the only genus with photophores, and the monotypic Solivomer, known only from the Philippines, are benthopelagic over slope waters. Species of Scopelengys are meso- or bathypelagic. Maximum length attained is slightly more than 30 cm.

General References

Nafpaktitis, B.G. 1977. Family Neoscopelidae. In, Gibbs, R.H. (ed.) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(7): 1-12 figs 1-5

Common Name References

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [252] (New Lanternfishes)

Paxton, J.R. & Hulley, P.A. 1999. Families Neoscopelidae. pp. 1955-1956 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. [1955] (FAO) (Neoscopelids)

History of changes

• Neoscopelus Johnson, J.Y. 1863. Descriptions of five new species of fishes obtained at Madeira. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1863: 36-47 pl. 7 [44].

  Type species:

   Neoscopelus macrolepidotus Johnson, 1863 by monotypy.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Atlantic Indo-west-central Pacific.

IMCRA

Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Timor Province (2), Northwest Transition (3), Northwest Province (4), Central Western Transition (5), Central Western Province (6), Southwest Transition (7), Southern Province (8), West Tasmania Transition (9)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: SE oceanic
  • South Australia: S oceanic
  • Tasmania: S oceanic, SE oceanic
  • Victoria: S oceanic, SE oceanic
  • Western Australia: NW oceanic, S oceanic, W oceanic

History of changes

• Neoscopelus macrolepidotus Johnson, J.Y. 1863. Descriptions of five new species of fishes obtained at Madeira. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1863: 36-47 pl. 7 [44, pl. 7].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 1862.10.3.3, Madeira.
• Neoscopelus bruuni Whitley, G.P. 1931. New names for Australian fishes. The Australian Zoologist 6(4): 310-334 1 fig. pls 25-27 [312] [based on specimens of Neoscopelus macrolepidotus described by McCulloch, A.R. 1914. Report on some fishes obtained by the F.I.S. Endeavour on the coasts of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South and South-Western Australia. Part 2. Biological Results Endeavour 2(3): 77–165 figs 1–15 pls 13–34 (90 pl. 17)].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) AM E.3549, south-east of Eucla, Great Australian Bight [129°28´E]; AM I.12990, south-east of Eucla, Great Australian Bight [129°28´E].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Nafpaktitis, B.G. 1977. Family Neoscopelidae. In, Gibbs, R.H. (ed.) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(7): 1-12 figs 1-5 [8]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Off Newcastle, NSW (32º50´S), south and west to Great Australian Bight (129º28´E) and off Northwest Shelf (116º30´E), WA; tropical, temperate, Atlantic Indo-west-central Pacific.

IMCRA

Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Timor Province (2), Northwest Transition (3), Northwest Province (4), Southern Province (8), West Tasmania Transition (9)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: SE oceanic
  • South Australia: S oceanic
  • Tasmania: S oceanic, SE oceanic
  • Victoria: S oceanic, SE oceanic
  • Western Australia: NW oceanic, S oceanic

Ecological Descriptors

Continental slope.

General References

McCulloch, A.R. 1930. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 5(1–4): 1-534 [81]

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [37] (263)

Paxton, J.R. 1994. Families Neoscopelidae, Myctophidae. pp. 275-279 figs 246-249 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. [275]

Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [37] (449)

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. [276] (Large-scaled Lanternfish, Largescale New Lanternfish)

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [37] (Large-scaled Lantern-fish)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Largescaled Neoscopelid)

History of changes

• Neoscopelus microchir Matsubara, K. 1943. Ichthyological annotations from the depth of the Sea of Japan. III. A review of the scopelid fish, referable to the genus Neoscopelus. Journal of Sigenkagaku Kenkyusyo 1(1): 55-63 figs 11-15 [59, fig. 13].

  Type data:

   Holotype FAKU 6582, off Heta, Suruga, Japan.
  Paratype(s) FAKU 1061-1070; FAKU 2120; FAKU 2251; FAKU 2253-55; FAKU 4926; FAKU 6228-32; FAKU 6578; FAKU 6579-81; FAKU 6605.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Off Northwest Shelf, WA (116º42´E) and off NSW from Newcastle (32º50´S) to Kiama (33º39´S); tropical, west Pacific.

IMCRA

Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Timor Province (2), Northwest Transition (3), Northwest Province (4)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: SE oceanic
  • Western Australia: NW oceanic

Ecological Descriptors

Continental slope.

General References

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [252]

Common Name References

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Shortfin Neoscopelid)

History of changes

• Neoscopelus porosus Arai, R. 1969. A new iniomous fish of the genus Neoscopelus from Suruga Bay, Japan. Bulletin of the National Science Museum, Tokyo 12(3): 465-470 figs 1-3 pl. 1 [Tokyo] [466, figs 1A, 2-3, pl. 1(3-4)].

  Type data:

   Holotype NSMT P.7629, off Heta, Suruga Bay, Japan.
  Paratype(s) NSMT P.7630.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Off the Northwest Shelf, WA (117º45´E); tropical, Japan.

IMCRA

Central Western Transition (5), Central Western Province (6), Southwest Transition (7)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Western Australia: W oceanic

Ecological Descriptors

Continental slope.

General References

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [252]

Common Name References

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Spangleside Neoscopelid)

History of changes