Author: (Risso, 1810)
Stomias boa (Risso, 1810)
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Stomias boa (Risso, 1810) (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis: barbel usually about as long as head, with 3 short filaments arising from end of distal bulb; upper jaw with a small anterior tooth, a large fang and 3 to 5 smaller teeth; lower jaw with 2 small anterior teeth, 2 large teeth and 3 to 7 smaller teeth. Six rows of hexagonal areas above lateral series of large photophores; 82-91 photophores in ventral series (IC, from anterior end of isthmus to fleshy part of tail). Colour: iridescent silver. Size: to more than 30 cm.
Habitat: deep oceanic waters to more than 1,000 m depth; may migrate to near-surface waters at night: fairly common in its main distributional range. Food: midwater fishes and crustaceans. Reproduction: oviparous.
Distribution: western Mediterranean, Sea of Marmora, and off West Africa southward to about 20° N. Elsewhere, in the Atlantic between about 27° and 65° N and Indian and Pacific Oceans south of about 20° S.
Eggs, larvae and young stages. Sanzo, 1912: 1-6 1 Ege, 1918: 12-16 | Sanzo, 1918: 77-82.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.
Subspecies
S. boa boa: 82-88 (usually 83-86) large photophores in ventral series (IC) to tail, western Mediterranean, Sea of Marmora, and off West Africa; southern Oceans, south of about 20° S (Clofnam 41.1.1.1).
S. boa ferox Reinhardt, 1843: 85-91 (usually 87-89) large photophores in ventral series (IC) to tail; Atlantic north to Iceland (Clofnam 41.1.1.2).
Eggs, larvae and young stages. Ege, 1918: 8-16.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.