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Silver Lighthouse Fish
Phosichthys argenteus (Hutton, 1872)
A 15 cm long Silver Lighthouse Fish trawled during the NORFANZ expedition at a depth of about 1530 m, north-east of Lord Howe Island, 20 May 2003 (AMS I.42720-015). Photo: R. McPhee © NORFANZ. View larger image.
The Silver Lighthouse Fish is an elongate, compressed fish. Its dorsal fin is positioned well in front of the anal fin. Rows of light organs run along the ventral surface of the body. There are two light organs near the eye, one in front and one behind. The mouth has large canines.
This species is dark brown above, lighter brown to pink on the sides and black below. Parts of the head are silvery.
It grows to 30 cm in length.
The Silver Lighthouse Fish is a benthic species that occurs at continental slope depths. It occurs in temperate marine waters of the southern hemisphere, except off South America.
In Australia it has been trawled from off New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
This species is also known as the Lighthouse Fish and Silver Lightfish.
Further reading
- Harold, A. S. 1999. Phosichthyidae. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 3. Batoid fishes, chimaeras and bony fishes part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-vi, 1398-2068.
- Paxton, J.R. 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.
