{"scientificNameAuthorship":"","RecordModifiedOn":"2026-08-18","CAAB_code":"37122129","phylum":"Chordata","Notes":"Paxton et al 2026 wrote \"Previously Qld specimens of this species were misidentified (Paxton et al., 1989 as <i>Lampanyctus ater</i>; Hoese et al., 2006: 527 as <i>Nannobrachium atrum</i>). Now known from at least 12 AMS specimens from the Coral Sea. The identification of this species is based on the description and figure in Zahuranec (2000: 14–17, Fig. 4, Table 3). We have been able to distinguish the two species based on the combination of a number of characters, coupled with distribution: <i>L. cf. niger</i> is mostly tropical off eastern Australia, <i>L. ater</i> mostly temperate. However, variation in the characters is significant, particularly photophore position. In the discussion of two specimens from near the Ogasawara Islands in the NW Pacific described by Fujii (1984: 65-68), Zahuranec considered them “almost certainly a different species because of their large size …, high … counts, Pol well in advance of origin of adipose fin (rather than below adipose-fin base, see Table 3) … .” His Fig. 4 is of a specimen from near the Hawaiian Islands that has the Pol under the centre of the adipose-fin base, and is the basis of our identification. However, Günther’s holotype (BMNH 1877.12.7.29) of <i>N. nigrum</i> from south of the Philippines was figured by Nafpaktitis (1973: fig. 37), Bolin in Wisner (1976: fig. 163) and Nafpaktitis et al. (1977: fig. 140) and clearly has the Pol significantly anterior to the origin of the adipose fin. None of our specimens have this arrangement, and the name is used with some hesitation. A study of specimens from the tropical West Pacific north of the Equator is needed to confirm the nomenclature.\"","habitat":"Estuarine<br>Pelagic, Epipelagic (0-200m, Oceanic)<br>Pelagic, Mesopelagic (200-1000m, Oceanic)<br>Pelagic, Bathypelagic (1000-2000m, Oceanic)<br>Marine unspecified<br>","NameVerifiedSource":"","Parent_Id":"","scientificName":"Lampanyctus cf. niger [in Paxton et al 2026]","kingdom":"Animalia","order":"Myctophiformes","otherVernacularNames":"","Reference":"Paxton, J.R., Williams, A. & Hulley, P.A., 2026. Illustrated Keys to the Lanternfishes (Myctophidae: Myctophiformes) from Australian Waters, <i>Technical Reports of the Australian Museum</i>, Vol. 45: 1-112. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.3853&#x25;2Fj.1835-4211.45.2026.3016\">doi:10.3853&#x2f;j.1835-4211.45.2026.3016</a>","vernacularName":"[a lanternfish]","ChildCodes":"","RecordCreatedOn":"2026-08-18","scientificNameID_WoRMS":"","family":"Myctophidae","standardName":"","class":"Actinopterygii","scientificNameID_AFD":"","CAAB_status":"Valid"}