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Shortsnout Lancetfish
Alepisaurus brevirostris Gibbs, 1960
Above and below: A juvenile Shortsnout Lancetfish trawled during the NORFANZ expedition in a midwater trawl at a depth of 1275 m (bottom depth: 3580 m), in international waters south-east of Norfolk Island, May 2003 (CSIRO H6003-02). A specimen from this collection is also registered in the Australian Museum Fish Collection (AMS I.42703-001). Photo: M. McGrouther © NORFANZ. View larger image.
The Shortsnout Lancetfish has a slim, elongate body. It has a long-based first dorsal fin followed by a small adipose fin. The caudal fin is large and forked. The anal fin is short-based and positioned posteriorly on the body.
This species has a large mouth with large fangs on the roof of the mouth and at the front of the lower jaw. There are smaller triangular and caniniform teeth elsewhere on the jaws and the roof of the mouth.
It is iridescent brownish-black above and paler laterally. The long lateral keels at the rear of the body are black. The dorsal fin may have a row of white spots close to its base.
The Shortsnout Lancetfish grows to at least 96 cm in length.
This species occurs in bathypelagic and mesopelagic depths in temperate marine waters worldwide, except the North Pacific.
In Australia it has only been recorded from off Eucla, Western Australia.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The Shortsnout Lancetfish has also been called the Shortsnouted Handsawfish.
Further reading
- Glover, C.J.M. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
