Valenciennellus tripunctulatus

Valenciennellus tripunctulatus, commonly called the constellationfish,^[3] is a species of fish in the family Sternoptychidae (hatchetfish).^[4][5][6]

Valenciennellus tripunctulatus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Stomiiformes
Family:	Sternoptychidae
Genus:	Valenciennellus
Species:	V. tripunctulatus
Binomial name
Valenciennellus tripunctulatus (Esmark, 1871)
Synonyms[2]
Maurolicus tripunctulatus Esmark, 1871 Valencienellus tripunctulatus Esmark, 1871 Valenciennellus stellatus Garman, 1899 Valenciennellus tripunctatus Esmark, 1871

Description

Valenciennellus tripunctulatus is small, growing no longer than 3.1 cm (1.2 in).^[7] It darkens its body at night by pigment dispersion. It is silvery-white in colour with several black spots; the name tripunctulatus ("three-spotted") refers to the larger spots on their ventral surface, although there are often more than three of these.^[8]

Habitat

Valenciennellus tripunctulatus lives all the world's non-polar oceans. It is bathypelagic and non-migratory, living at depths of 100–1,000 m (330–3,280 ft).^[7][9]

Behaviour

Valenciennellus tripunctulatus is a selective daytime feeder on copepods (mainly Pleuromamma) and ostracods (such as Conchoecia).^[10]

It breeds year-round, with egg batches about 100–360 eggs per ovary pair, the number increasing with animal size.^[7] It does not guard its eggs.^[11]