Northern Stoplight Loosejaw
Malacosteus niger
- Least concern
- Card rarity: Common
- Fish
Malacosteus niger, commonly known as the stoplight loosejaw, is a species of deep-sea fish. Some additional common names for this species include: northern stoplight loosejaw, lightless loosejaw, black loosejaw, and black hinged-head. It belongs to the family Stomiidae, or dragonfishes. It is among the top predators of the open mesopelagic zone, and inhabits the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones. M. niger is a circumglobal species, which means that it inhabits waters ranging from the tropics to the subarctics. Not many studies have been conducted on its feeding habits, but recent research suggests that M. niger primarily feed on calanoid copepods which is a form of zooplankton. Indeed, it appears that M. niger primarily prey on zooplankton despite its apparent morphological adaptations for the consumption of relatively large prey.
Classification
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Stomiiformes
- Family
- Stomiidae
- Genus
- Malacosteus