Malacosteidae: F I A3

Malacosteus niger Ayres, 1848

Loose jaw

Egg diameter in µm

Number of oil globules

Diameter of oil globule in µm

Yolk texture

Perivitelline space

Position of oil globule at hatch

Gut length   at eye- pigment stage

Myomeres

2400-2450

1

265-280

Segmented

not seen fresh

Stern

78% of NL

Ca. 50

Egg: No photograph was taken of this egg, because it was assumed to be the egg of FIA2. The egg had the characteristic elongate oil globule, and was roughly the same size. Since FIA2 is Opostomius, this is a second species with an unusually shaped oil globule. Incubation is uncertain.

Larva: The three images above were all taken 4 days post collection, when the eggs had hatched, but the hatch was not seen, so I am uncertain whether the eyes are this darkly pigmented on hatching.

This egg has only been seen once, on 27 February 2009, when 4 eggs were collected in the offshore sample. Two of these were barcoded and matched Malacosteus niger in BOLD.