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Body elongate; mouth large; premaxillary teeth even; vomer with teeth. Pseudobranch absent, gillrakers on first arch 23–29, (5) 6 on hypobranchial, no raker in articulation of epi- and ceratobranchial; branchiostegal rays 13–14, 5 on epihyal. Dorsal-fin rays 13–15; pectoral-fin rays 9–10; pelvic-fin rays 6; anal-fin rays 17–19; dorsal- and anal-fin origins opposite; last dorsal- and anal-fin ray not split to base; dorsal adipose fin absent; anus midway between pelvic-fin bases and anal-fin origin. Vertebrae 31–33. Pyloric caecae 3. Scales present. Head and body lacking photophores, pre-caudal and opercular glands. Color uniformly dark brown.
Circumglobal in subtropical to tropical oceanic waters.
Cceanic, bathypelagic; juveniles and adults at 900–3,000 m; no diel vertical migrations.
Badcock J. 1984. Gonostomatidae. pp. 284–301. In: P.J.P. Whitehead MLB, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen, and E. Tortonese editor. Fishes of the Northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Paris: Unesco. p 1473 pp.
The following is a general description of the morphology of species of the genus Cyclothone from Badcock (1984).
Species of the genus typically small, fairly elongate. Pseudobranch absent; gill filaments longer in males; branchiostegal rays 13–14 (5–6 on epihyal). Dorsal- and anal-fin origins about opposite; last dorsal- and anal-fin rays not split to base; dorsal adipose fin absent; anus closer to pelvi-fin base than to anal-fin origin or a midpoint. Swimbladder regressed in adults. Scales present or absent.
To 60 mm SL.
Presumed hemaphroditic.
Atlantic, Indian Oceans.
Syntypes: SNMBR I-10035; SMF 2113; SMNS 4491; ZMB 17509-10, 17512, 17480, 19321, 22324; ZMH 8233 (now 10844).
