Patchwork Lampfish

High-oceanic, epipelagic to mesopelagic (Ref. 31442). Nyctoepipelagic at the surface and down to 300 m and found between 651-2,000 m during the day (Ref. 4479).

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 21 - 24; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 18 - 20; Vertebrae: 35 - 38

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Branchiostegal rays: 9-10 (Ref. 31442). Anal organs 13; can be easily distinguished from other species of the genus by its gill raker count (Ref. 39633).

Oviparous (Ref. 31442).

High-oceanic, epipelagic to mesopelagic (Ref. 31442). Bathypelagic (Ref. 58302). Nyctoepipelagic at the surface and down to 300 m and found between 651-2,000 m during the day (Ref. 4479). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 31442).

Notoscopelus resplendens

This species is moderately large in size, growing to about 95 mm in length (Hulley, 1981). The Ocean Acre specimens range from 5 mm to 73 mm, most being 20–40 mm. Notoscopelus resplendens was tentatively assigned a tropical-subtropical distribution pattern by Backus et al. (1977). This species is common in the study area, ranking among the 20 most abundant myctophids only in late spring, but even then its total abundance was low. The Ocean Acre collections contain 458 specimens; 133 were caught during the paired seasonal cruises, 96 of these in discrete-depth samples, of which 53 were caught in noncrepuscular tows (Table 23).

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES.—Postlarvae were 5–22 mm, juveniles 21–77 mm, subadults 40–73 mm, and adults 63–70 mm. All adults were males taken with the Engel trawl. About two-thirds of the juveniles examined (all sizes) could not be sexed. Most juveniles that were sexed were females, reflecting a sexual dimorphism in size. Males larger than 38 mm have luminous tissue on the dorsal aspect of the caudal peduncle (Nafpaktitis, 1975).

REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE AND SEASONAL ABUNDANCE.—Notoscopelus resplendens may be a breeding resident of the study area. Spawning occurred in the parent population from winter to about spring, with a peak in intensity in winter-early spring. The life span may be two years. Abundance was, by far, greatest in late spring, when juveniles 21–31 mm were predominant. It decreased to very low levels in late summer and winter (Table 127).

Although no adult females were taken, the presence of numerous postlarvae (188 specimens) indicates that spawning probably occurred near the study area. Nafpaktitis et al. (1977) similarly noted the absence of gravid females among 230 specimens (20–77 mm) examined.

Postlarvae were caught from winter to late spring, appearing in greatest numbers in April, when more than 100 were caught. Postlarvae taken in January–March were mostly less than 10 mm and those in April mostly bigger than 12 mm. This suggests that spawning began prior to January and reached a peak in late February-early March.

In winter the entire catch consisted of two postlarvae and a 68 mm subadult female. The low abundance at this season probably was due to most recruits being too small to be retained by the IKMT and to most older fish being big enough to avoid the net easily. Presumably even recruits were not very abundant at this season.

By late spring spawning was mostly over and most of the catch consisted of juveniles from the winter spawning peak. As a result of this recruitment, abundance was at its maximum. Only one fish, a 67 mm subadult female, was greater than 37 mm. Again the paucity of large fish probably was due to their ability to avoid the IKMT.

The sharp decrease in abundance from late spring to late summer is perplexing. Only four specimens 30–67 mm were taken in all late summer samples with the IKMT. Engel trawl collections, however, contained 63 specimens, which can be divided into two size groups: a smaller size group, 26–46 mm, with a peak at about 31–33 mm, that presumably represents young of the year; and a larger size group, mostly 66–73 mm, at least a year older than the former group. About 75 percent of the specimens caught with the Engel trawl belonged to the smaller group. The biggest catches made with the Engel trawl were from the upper 100 m and upper 50 m, at night, depths that were well sampled by the IKMT.

It is possible that the low abundances in winter and late summer were the result of N. resplendens not being able to survive long in the study area.

VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION.—Daytime vertical range for late spring and late summer combined was 51–100 m, 551–1150 m, and 1501–1550 m. Nighttime depth range for all three seasons combined was about 50–200 m (one postlava was taken at 751–800 m). In late spring maximum abundance was at 51–100 m (Table 127).

The catches in the Engel collections referred to above suggest that N. resplendens may be stratified by size. Specimens caught in the 0–50 m sample were 27–37 mm and those in the 0–100 m samples 57–73 mm.

As Gibbs et al. (1971) noted, postlarvae are found in the upper 100 m and apparently do not migrate. Transformation occurs at 20–23 mm, after which the species inhabits progressively greater depths as it grows.

分布於世界三大洋熱帶及亞熱帶海域。臺灣則發現於東部周邊水域。

一般以底拖網捕獲，不具食用經濟價值，通常做為下雜魚用。

體延長，側扁，後部略細。頭長形而大。吻短，前端鈍。眼大。口大，上頜骨狹長而延伸至前鰓蓋後緣，末端略擴大；上下頜絨毛齒，內外列齒等長；鋤骨及腭骨均具齒帶。體被大而薄圓鱗，易脫落；側線平直。背鰭單一，位於體中部，具軟條21-24，後部另具一脂鰭；臀鰭基底短於背鰭基底，具軟條19-20；尾鰭叉形，尾鰭副鰭條堅硬、棘狀。各部位之發光器位置於下：鼻部背位發光器(Dn)小而長形；鼻部腹位發光器(Vn)小而圓形；鰓蓋位發光器(Op)2個，位於前鰓蓋後緣下方，Op1明顯較Op2小，均在眼眶下緣縱線之下；胸鰭上方發光器(PLO)，距側線比距胸鰭基部近；胸鰭下方發光器(PVO)2個，兩者互為垂直排列，分別位於胸鰭基底上下方；胸部發光器(PO)5個，PO5位置突然昇高；腹部發光器(VO)4個，水平排列；腹鰭上位發光器(VLO)位於腹鰭和側線之中間，或略接近側線；臀鰭上方發光器(SAO)3個，三者排列呈鈍角狀，SAO3在側線下緣；體後側位發光器(Pol)2個，在脂鰭下方，側線下緣，呈水平排列；臀鰭前部發光器(AOa)7個，水平排列，最後一個明顯上昇；臀鰭後部發光器(AOp)4個，水平排劉；尾鰭前位發光器(Prc)3個，前二個水平排列，Prc3在側線下緣之。雄魚尾上部發光腺(SUGL)具8-10個發光斑塊。身體其它若干部位具許多小發光腺，如背鰭基部等。

大洋性中層巡游魚類，具日夜垂直分布習性，白天一般棲息深度可達650-2,000公尺左右，晚上則上游至水深0-300公尺附近處覓食，以小蝦等浮游性甲殼類為食。

Notoscopelus resplendens, commonly known as the patchwork lampfish or patchwork lanternfish, is a species of lanternfish in the family Myctophidae. It is found in the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific Ocean. It spends the daylight hours in deep water, rising at night to near the surface. This fish was first described by the Scottish naturalist and arctic explorer John Richardson in 1845.

Atlantic Ocean: about 35°N (east of 40°W) and 47°N (west of 40°W) to the southern subtropical convergence at 40°S, but with discontinuity in the region of the cyclonic gyre 2°S - 11°S, in the eastern Atlantic and in the minimum region off Brazil (5°-9°S to 21°S)

high-oceanic, epipelagic to mesopelagic; nyctoepipelagic at the surface and down to 300 m and found between 651-2,000 m during the day

nektonic

Known from seamounts and knolls

Mesopelagic

Bathypelagic