Description 



D. 13; A. 18 (17-19); P. 17 (16-18); AO 6-7 + 3 (4), total 9 (10); gill rakers 7 (6) -I- 1 -^ 15 

 (14-17), total 22 (20-24); vertebrae 35. Frequency distributions of the above meristics, except 

 vertebrae, are given in Table 11. 



Body and head deep, each about 31% of SL; head as deep as long. Caudal peduncle short, 6 

 in SL, and deep, 1.5 in its length. Exposed margins of body scales strongly ctenoid but without 

 the elongated spines, on scales over the AO series, found in Myctophum spinosum and M. 

 lychnobium . Three SAO in a straight or slightly angulate, steeply oblique line, at an angle of 

 about 20° ( 17°-23°) from the vertical. 



Only supracaudal glands occur in each sex; those of males strongly developed with 6 or 7 

 somewhat overlapping luminous scales that fill the supracaudal space (Fig. 61 ). The sup- 

 racaudal glands of females have only 3 or 4 weakly developed, usually contiguous scales that 

 fill about half the supracaudal space. No infracaudal luminous scales were found on any 

 specimen. 



Size: To about 60 mm. 



Least depth of capture: To 20 m at night; this species is not yet reported as taken from the 

 surface. 



Table 11. Numbers of Fin Rays, AO Photophores, and Gill Rakers for Myctophum 

 selenoides from the central pacific ocean and for m. selenops from the 

 Atlantic and Pacific Oceans 



67 



