black dragonfish
Idiacanthus atlanticus Brauer, 1906
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Idiacanthus atlanticus, the black dragonfish, is a barbeled dragonfish of the family Stomiidae, found circumglobally in southern subtropical and temperate oceans between latitudes 25°S and 60°S, at depths down to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). The species is sexually dimorphic: females are black with six stripes; males are brown, and lack the females' canine teeth, pelvic fins and barbel. They can weigh between 13–15 grams. Females are believed to make a diel vertical migration from deeper than 500 metres (1,600 ft) by day to surface waters at night, whereas males do not migrate, remaining below 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) at all times. Length is up to 40 centimetres (16 in) for the female, but only 4 centimetres (1.6 in) for the male. Black dragonfish are bioluminescent, but unlike most such predators, which use their light primarily to attract prey, they can see their own light. As a result, the fish can use their light to hunt. The light is nearly in the infrared and barely visible to the human eye.
Wikipedia contributors, Idiacanthus atlanticus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T05:59:34.911658+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Idiacanthus atlanticus Brauer, 1906
- Name authority
- Brauer, 1906
- Common name
- black dragonfish
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Stomiiformes
- Family
- Stomiidae
- Genus
- Idiacanthus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderStomiiformes
- familyStomiidae Bleeker, 1859
- subfamilyIdiacanthinae Gill, 1893
- genusIdiacanthus Peters, 1877
- speciesIdiacanthus atlanticus Brauer, 1906
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Idiacanthus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific blackdragonIdiacanthus antrostomus Gilbert, 1890 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| ribbon sawtail fishIdiacanthus fasciola Peters, 1877 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Idiacanthus aurora Waite, 1916 Waite, 1916 | synonym |
| Idiacanthus retrodorsalis Thompson, 1916 Thompson, 1916 | synonym |
| Idiacanthus niger Regan, 1914 Regan, 1914 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Brauer, A. (1906). Die Tiefsee-Fische. I. Systematischer Teil. In: C. Chun. Wissenschaftl. Ergebnisse Der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition “Valdivia,” 1898-99. Jena., 15: 1–432, Pls. 1–18. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3PCFC. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.