New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Least Concern 🌡️ Subtropical

Southern stoplight loosejaw

Malacosteus australis Kenaley, 2007
Max Length
16.6 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
4.1
Depth
500–2000 m
Climate
Subtropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
32.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
-

📖 Overview

Only a few were caught above 500 m, thus it appears that this species does not regularly migrate on a diel basis out of the mesopelagic. With its large accessory orbital photophore (AO), this species likely uses this in employing a far-red visual system as part of its foraging strategy .

Scientific Name
Malacosteus australis
Authority
Kenaley, 2007
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Subtropical
Body Shape
Elongated
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
16.6 cm
Depth Range
500–2000 m
Trophic Level
4.1
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
32.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal soft rays (total): 16 - 21; Anal soft rays: 18 - 23; Vertebrae: 45 - 51. This species possess the following characters: in male, postorbital photophore (PO) 3.7-6.4% upper jaw length (UJL), 0.9-1.7% SL; female PO 2.5-4.4% UJL, 0.6-1.2% SL; IP photophores 5-7 in 3-7 clusters .: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Southern stoplight loosejaw is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Southern stoplight loosejaw is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Reproduction data for Southern stoplight loosejaw is currently being compiled.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 500 - 2000 m . Subtropical; 25°S - 45°S Indian Ocean and Indo-Australasian Archipelago.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine
Trophic Level
4.1±0.7

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00407 × L3.1 (TL)
Max TL
16.6cm
Dorsal Rays
19
Anal Rays
21
Vertebrae
48

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2019

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
32.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.1
Apex / Top predator
Body Shape
Elongated
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Described By
Kenaley, 2007

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Southern stoplight loosejaw ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.