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Nomenclature of Pigmentation of the Larvae of Lanternfish (Myctophidae)

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Abstract

Here we propose a unified terminology for the pigmentation of the lanternfish larvae (Myctophidae). The distinguished two main groups of pigmentation (external and internal) are subdivided into subunits according to their location on the fish body, in total including 77 structural units corresponding to a particular pigment cluster. The use of this nomenclature enables uniform description of pigmentation by different authors. Examples of characteristics of larval pigmentation are given using the proposed nomenclature in the forms of a formal description and summarized diagnostic tables.

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Notes

  1. A unique feature of Diogenichthys atlanticus larvae is the presence of a barbel on the mandibular symphysis; we also attribute its pigmentation to LJS.

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  1. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Ya. Yu. Bolshakova

  2. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    A. M. Prokofiev

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  1. Ya. Yu. Bolshakova
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The study was carried out with the support of the Russian Science Foundation, Project No. 19-14-00026.

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Translated by T. Kuznetsova

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Bolshakova, Y.Y., Prokofiev, A.M. Nomenclature of Pigmentation of the Larvae of Lanternfish (Myctophidae). J. Ichthyol. 63, 878–890 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945223050028

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