Barracudinas (family Paralepididae) are long and slender fish with large eyes, and a pointed snout with fang-like teeth. They look a little like to barracudas but are not related to those. They lack a swim bladder and - rarely found in vertebrates - they are hermaphrodites. Barracudinas can be found at depths of 2000 m, but they are mostly found somewhere between 200 and 1000 m.
Our new species is one of three that were found in the Indo-West Pacific. Its name is a combination of the Latin words longus and lucifer, referring to a long luminescent duct that extends well forward of the eye.
For the experts: Three new species of the genus Lestidium with complete lateral line are described from the Indo-west Pacific Ocean. Lestidium longilucifer sp. nov., from Western Australia and Taiwan, belongs to the Lestidium atlanticum species complex and can be separated from other congeners by having 41–43 prehaemal vertebrae, 85–88 total vertebrae and 126–146 total lateral-line scales; and body proportions. Lestidium australis sp. nov. from eastern Australia and Lestidium rofeni sp. nov. from Taiwan and the Philippines together with Lestidium prolixum form the L. prolixum species complex. These three species can be separated from each other by a combination of different fin positions, vertebral formula, number of lateral-line scales and pigmentation.
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