ABSTRACT
This monotypic family contains the luminous hake, Steindachneria argentea Goode and Bean, 1896. It is found in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and off the east coast of the United States, where it occurs over the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope, usually over soft bottoms. A single specimen has been collected as far north as 35°51′N, in slope water just north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Its maximum size is 277 mm TL. The luminous hake is typified by a long and tapering body that ends in very reduced caudal fin rays without a caudal supporting structure. A light organ is present on the abdomen, and extends from the throat region to the mid-point of the anal fin (Cohen, 1964). Its color is silvery with a slightly brownish dorsal surface and a purplish cast to the light organ. The inner lining of the mouth is dark.
