Sternoptyx

Sternoptyx is an oceanic ray-finned fish genus which belongs in the family Sternoptychidae. This is the type genus of the Sternoptychidae, as well as the marine hatchetfish subfamily Sternoptychinae.

Sternoptyx
Temporal range: Early Oligocene to Present
40–0 Ma
Diaphanous hatchetfish (S. diaphana)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Stomiiformes
Family: Sternoptychidae
Subfamily: Sternoptychinae
Genus: Sternoptyx
Hermann, 1781

Sternoptyx have silvery, high, and laterally compressed bodies and large, non-telescopic eyes.[1] They are all relatively small, with even the largest species (S. pseudobscura and S. pseudodiaphana) not exceeding 60 millimetres (2.4 in) standard length.[2]

Species

There are currently four recognized species in this genus:[2]

  • Sternoptyx diaphana Hermann, 1781 (Diaphanous hatchetfish)
  • Sternoptyx obscura Garman, 1899
  • Sternoptyx pseudobscura R. C. Baird, 1971 (Highlight hatchetfish)
  • Sternoptyx pseudodiaphana Borodulina, 1977 (False oblique hatchetfish)

Fossils of this genus show that they have existed at least since the Early Oligocene, about 30 million years ago.[3]

References
  1. Baird, R. C. (1971). "The systematics, distribution, and zoogeography of the marine hatchetfishes (family Sternoptychidae)". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 142: 1–128.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). Species of Sternoptyx in FishBase. February 2012 version.
  3. Sepkoski, Jack (2002): [Sternoptyx]. In: A compendium of fossil marine animal genera. Bulletins of American Paleontology 364: 560. HTML database excerpt


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