ABSTRACT
Sixteen species in seven genera of sternoptychids are found in our area. One of these, Maurolicine species Alpha, appears to be an undescribed species as only a few larval specimens are known-one from the Pacific and one from the Atlantic. The marine hatchetfishes (Subfamily Sternoptychinae) of the genera Argyropelecus (5 species), Polyipnus (3 species), and Sternoptyx (2 species) are well known as adults, but the larvae and eggs are poorly known because these species are found below 200 m where ichthyoplankton nets are seldom fished. Ho well & Krueger (1987) provide extensive depth data from Bermuda for several species of Sternoptyx & Argyropelecus plus Valenciennellus & Maurolicus. The remaining larvae (Subfamily Maurolicinae) comprise the monotypic genera Maurolicus and Valenciennellus that are often quite commonly found in ichthyoplankton collections, but the monotypic Argyripnus is rare as this species is presumed to be benthic. The ELH stages of Sonoda (two species) are unknown. The main characters of the family are the grouping of some photophores coalesced in glandlike clusters and the presence of a pseudobranch.
