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Firefly lanternfish

Hygophum proximum

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth75–1,180 m
  • Water temperature15–30 °C
  • Best monthsSeptember
  • How commonOccasional
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About this species

Hygophum is a genus of lanternfishes.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Hygophum”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 47 records
  • February: 111 records
  • March: 44 records
  • April: 9 records
  • May: 27 records
  • June: 91 records
  • July: 52 records
  • August: 94 records
  • September: 261 records
  • October: 142 records
  • November: 95 records
  • December: 85 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 75–1,180 m · Deepest record: 4,700 m

  • 0–10 m: 20 records
  • 10–20 m: 0 records
  • 20–30 m: 3 records
  • 30–40 m: 0 records
  • 40–50 m: 0 records
  • 50–60 m: 11 records
  • 60–70 m: 10 records
  • 70–80 m: 28 records
  • 80–90 m: 3 records
  • 90–100 m: 2 records
  • 100–110 m: 3 records
  • 110+ m: 613 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 15–30 °C

  • 14–16 °C: 4 records
  • 16–18 °C: 3 records
  • 18–20 °C: 2 records
  • 20–22 °C: 6 records
  • 22–24 °C: 7 records
  • 24–26 °C: 180 records
  • 26–28 °C: 207 records
  • 28–30 °C: 46 records

Names and classification

English
Firefly lanternfish, Lantern Fish
Names in 2 more languages
Spanish
Linternilla, Pez Linterna, Pez Linterna Cabezo
Japanese
Tsumari-donguri-hadaka, Tsumaridongurihadaka, ツマリドングリハダカ

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 1,607 open-data records from 1954 to 2023.
  • Species data updated November 3, 2026.

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