Author: Vaillant, 1886
Leptochilichthys pinguis Vaillant, 1886
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Leptochilichthys pinguis (Vaillant, 1886) (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis: body elongate and compressed, head large, about 1 1/3 of body length. Eye smaller than snout, in front half of head. Upper jaw membranous, more than half length of head; gillrakers 8-9 + 1 + 16-20. Dorsal fin well behind midpoint of body, with 16-21 finrays; pectoral fins with 9-10 finrays; pelvic fins behind midpoint of body, with 9 finrays; anal fin origin below middle of dorsal fin base, with 14-18 finrays. Scales relatively large, about 53-55 in lateral line. Colour: head bluish, body brownish. Size: to 24.3 cm.
Habitat: mesopelagic at 800-1,400 m, adults possibly benthopelagic. Food: no data. Reproduction: ovarian eggs large, to 5 mm in diameter.
Distribution: a single small juvenile caught at 1,400 m off Morocco (the type). Elsewhere, Indian Ocean and western part of tropical Pacific.
Eggs, larvae and young stages. No data.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.