Photonectes Gunther, 1887
Body moderately long to slender, its depth less than 10 times in SL (in all except one species). Head with short snout; lower jaw longer than upper jaw, curved strongly upward; barbel up to about 5 times in SL, usually much shorter than head, barely visible in some large specimens, its tip with swellings or filaments or both, which may disappear in some large specimens of some species. Pectoral fin with 0-2 finrays, unbranched distally, and without lumps of luminous material; pelvic fins low on body, their insertions close together near mid-ventral line; bases of dorsal and anal fins about equally long, their origins approximately opposed; no dorsal adipose fin. Photophores in ventral row between pectoral fin insertion (or following tenth photophore from front of isthmus when pectoral fins absent) to pelvic fin insertion (PV) 19-38; no pale loop or line on sides, but a blue ventral line in some; post-orbital luminous organ long, more or less triangular, becoming twice as long as eye diameter in some species; no pre-orbital or sub-orbital organs; no large luminous patches on head behind eye.
See family for biology, etc.
Species uncertain, about 10 recognized; in Clofnam area 3.
Recent revisions: Regan and Trewavas (1930), Morrow and Gibbs (1964), neither entirely satisfactory.
Species of this genus in the program:
Photonectes braueri
Photonectes dinema
Photonectes parvimanus