Melanostomias valdiviae Brauer, 1902
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
Melanostomias valdiviae is a species of dragonfish native to the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. This long and thin fish is bathypelagic and can be found in depths of 40–1,600 m (130–5,250 ft). The species, with its black hue and dull snout, can grow up to 24.1 cm (9.5 in).
Wikipedia contributors, Melanostomias valdiviae; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:10:30.466426+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Melanostomias valdiviae Brauer, 1902
- Name authority
- Brauer, 1902
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Stomiiformes
- Family
- Stomiidae
- Genus
- Melanostomias
- 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
- subfamilyMelanostomiinae Parr, 1927
- genusMelanostomias Brauer, 1902
- speciesMelanostomias valdiviae Brauer, 1902
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Melanostomias. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| scaleless black dragonfishMelanostomias bartonbeani Parr, 1927 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanostomias biseriatus Regan & Trewavas, 1930 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanostomias macrophotus Regan & Trewavas, 1930 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanostomias niger Gilchrist & von Bonde, 1924 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Three-ray dragonfishMelanostomias pauciradius Matsubara, 1938 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanostomias melanops Brauer, 1902 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanostomias globulifer Fowler, 1934 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanostomias margaritifer Regan & Trewavas, 1930 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanostomias melanopogon Regan & Trewavas, 1930 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanostomias nigroaxialis Parin & Pokhil'skaya, 1978 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanostomias paucilaternatus Parin & Pokhil'skaya, 1978 | StomiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Melanostomias pollicifer Parin & Pokhil'skaya, 1978 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Melanostomias melanocaulus Regan & Trewavas, 1930 Regan & Trewavas, 1930 | synonym |
| Melanostomias heteropogon Regan & Trewavas, 1930 Regan & Trewavas, 1930 | 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. (1902). Diagnosen von neuen Tiefseefischen, welche von der Valdivia-Expedition gesammelt sind. Zoologischer Anzeiger, v. 25 (no. 668): 277–298. 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:3ZBKV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.