ABSTRACT
This small family of benthopelagic or abyssal benthic fishes comprises three monotypic genera of which two are found in the WCNA: Acanthochaenus luetkenii Gill 1884 and Stephanoberyx monae Gill 1883 (Moore 2003d, Nelson 1994). Together with the melamphaids and gibberichthyids they comprise a rather similar group of small fishes with prominent head ridges with well-developed sensory head canals. Ebeling & Weed (1973) described the adults and summarized the little known data about these rare fishes. Schwartz (1990) reported on the twelfth additional specimen from the western North Atlantic and Kotlyar & Evseyenko (1989) described the larvae of specimens collected in the southwestern Pacific. The meristic characters are given in Table Stephanoberycidae 1 including the larval and juvenile specimens. The larvae are shown in Fig. Melamphaidae 1 from the Pacific. Kotlyar & Evseyenko (1989) report that the larvae were collected in the upper 30 centimeters of the sea surface and were purple when alive, a typical color for neustonic ELH stages such as mugilids, mullids, and some beloniforms. The larvae have large, pigmented, precocial pelvic fins placed on the abdomen characteristic of the order as well as beryciforms and zeiforms. The body is heavily pigmented, but the fins, other than the pelvics, lack pigment. The identification was based on the diagnostic meristic characters, lack of fin and opercular spines and the appearance of the unusual ctenoid scales that give them their common name.
