Author: (Jordan and Williams, 1895)
Vinciguerria nimbaria (Jordan and Williams, 1895)
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Vinciguerria nimbaria (Jordan and Williams, 1895) (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis: body elongate; eyes normal, lateral; inter-orbital broad, its minimum width more than 13% head length; mouth large; premaxillary teeth uniserial. Meristic data for eastern North Atlantic only: gillrakers on first arch 15-17 + 6-7 = 21-23. Dorsal finrays (13) 14-15, followed by a short dorsal adipose fin; pectoral finrays 9-10 (11); pelvic finrays 7, its base in advance of dorsal fin origin; anal finrays 14-15 (13-16), its origin beneath end of dorsal fin base, its base about equal to dorsal fin base. Anus under (seventh) eighth to ninth VAV photophore. Vertebrae 40-42. Photophores (adult): SO l; ORB 2; BR 8; OP 3; IV 22-23; VAV 10 (9-11); AC 13-14; OA 23-24. Colour: back dark, flanks silvery; pigment streak associated with SO (fishes over about 20 mm SL); premaxillae pigmented; pigment patch at anteriormost IV (fishes over about 21 mm SL); upper pectoral and outer (second to fourth or fifth) caudal rays speckled (fishes over about 40 mm SL); in juveniles (under about 21 mm SL) caudal melanophore in ventral position, present or disappearing. Size: to 48 mm SL.
Habitat: pre-metamorphic post-larvae in upper 50 m; metamorphic post larvae at 300-400 m; juveniles and adults at 200-400 m by day; diel vertical migrator, juveniles and adults occupying upper 100 m at night. Food: predominantly copepods, feeding intensively afternoon early evening. Reproduction: dioecious. Adult photophore complement attained at c. 18-20 mm SL.
Distribution: circumglobal, tropical; sampled infrequently in Clofnam area to about 37° N; absent in Mediterranean.
Tåning, 1926: 22, fig. 13-16 | Ahlström and Counts, 1958: 405 | Grey, 1964: 125,133.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.