Luminous hake

{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | fossil_range = {{fossil range|Late Oligocene|present}} | image = Steindachneria argentea.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn |author=Roa-Varón, A. |author2=Iwamoto, T. |year=2019 |title=''Steindachneria argentea'' |volume=2019 |article-number=e.T135385511A135578967 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T135385511A135578967.en |access-date=5 May 2025}}</ref> | display_parents = 3 | grandparent_authority = Parr, 1942 | genus = Steindachneria | parent_authority = Goode & Bean, 1888 | species = argentea | authority = Goode & T. H. Bean, 1896 }}

The '''luminous hake''' ('''''Steindachneria argentea''''') is a West Atlantic member of the gadiform fishes.<ref name=Fishbase>{{FishBase |genus= Steindachneria|species= argentea| month = August| year = 2015}}</ref> It is the only extant member of its genus, and of the family '''Steindachneriidae'''. It was formerly placed in the Merlucciidae.<ref>{{FishBase genus |genus=Steindachneria |month=August |year=2015}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last1=Fricke |first1=R. |last2=Eschmeyer |first2=W. N. |last3=Van der Laan |first3=R. |date=2025 |title=ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION |url=https://www.calacademy.org/eschmeyers-catalog-of-fishes-classification |access-date=2025-07-02 |website=California Academy of Sciences |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Roa-Varón |first1=Adela |last2=Ortí |first2=Guillermo |date=2009-09-01 |title=Phylogenetic relationships among families of Gadiformes (Teleostei, Paracanthopterygii) based on nuclear and mitochondrial data |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790309000980 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=52 |issue=3 |pages=688–704 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2009.03.020 |pmid=19345274 |bibcode=2009MolPE..52..688R |issn=1055-7903|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Evolution == ''Steindachneria argentea'' is the only extant species within its genus and family. However, a fossil skeleton of a close relative, †''Parasteindachneria'' Swidnicki, 1990 has been recovered from the Late Oligocene-aged Menilite Formation of Poland.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kotlarczyk |first1=Janusz |last2=Jerzmańska |first2=Anna |last3=Świdnicka |first3=Ewa |last4=Wiszniowska |first4=Teresa |date=2006 |title=A framework of ichthyofaunal ecostratigraphy of the Oligocene-Early Miocene strata of the Polish Outer Carpathian basin |url=https://geojournals.pgi.gov.pl/asgp/article/view/10446 |journal=Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae |language=en |volume=76 |issue=1 |pages=1–111}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Schwarzhans |first1=Werner W. |last2=Nielsen |first2=Sven N. |date=2021-07-27 |title=Fish otoliths from the early Miocene of Chile: a window into the evolution of marine bony fishes in the Southeast Pacific |journal=Swiss Journal of Palaeontology |volume=140 |issue=1 |page=16 |doi=10.1186/s13358-021-00228-w |bibcode=2021SwJP..140...16S |doi-access=free |issn=1664-2384}}</ref> In addition, two fossil species of ''Steindachneria'' are known exclusively from otoliths: †''S. goederti'' Nolf, 2002 from the Early Miocene of Chile (Navidad and Lacui Formations) and Washington, US (Astoria Formation), and ''S. svennielseni'' Nolf, 2002 from the Early Miocene of Chile (Navidad, Lacui, and Ranquil Formations) and potentially Venezuela (Cantare Formation).<ref name=":0" />

''S. svennielseni'' is notable for the extremely high number of fossil otoliths known from Chile, forming a growth series spanning juvenile to adult individuals. Allometry based on these otoliths suggest extreme morphological changes as the fish grew, to an extent not observed in any other fossil fish taxa known from otoliths.<ref name=":0" />

==Characteristics== Luminous hake grow to a maximum of {{cvt|30|cm|in}} in total length. They have a silver colored body with slight brown coloring in dorsal areas, a purple tint ventrally, and a dark oral cavity. They have big eyes on a large head and a tapering body that ends in a point since they have no caudal fin.<ref name=Fishbase/> Their luminosity comes from a characteristic striated light organ on the sides of the head and lower (ventral) half of the body. The anus is found between the pelvic fins and is widely separated from the urogenital opening located anterior to the anal fin.<ref name=Hoese>{{cite book|author=Hoese, H. Dickson |author2= Moore, Richard|name-list-style=and|year=1998|title=Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico: Texas, Louisiana, and Adjacent Waters}}</ref>

Luminous hake have uninterrupted lateral lines.<ref name=Fishbase/> They have a combined total of 18–20 gill rakers with five on the upper limb and 13–15 on the lower limb. The front of the first of two dorsal fins is the location of its one spine. The one anal fin is made up of a total of 123–125 soft rays. They possess paired pectoral and pelvic fins. The pectoral fins have 14–17 soft rays. The pelvic fins are located in the thoracic region.<ref name=Fishbase/><ref name=Hoese/>

==Distribution== Luminous hake are common in deep water but can be found on the outer shelf and on soft muddy bottoms of the Western Atlantic, Florida, northern Gulf of Mexico through Central America to Venezuela.<ref name=Fishbase/><ref name=Hoese/> The luminous hake occur at a depth range of {{convert|400–500|m}}.<ref name=Fishbase/>

==Other information== * This species is of no interest by fisheries.<ref name=Fishbase/> * ''Merluccius albidus'' is a predator of luminous hake.<ref name=Fishbase/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

luminous hake Category:Fish of the Caribbean Category:Fish of the Gulf of Mexico luminous hake