Although there have been many studies on the taxonomy of lanternfishes, morphological similarities during larval and juvenile stages make it difficult to identify species
and understand their early life histories. During an ichthyoplankton survey in the
Northwest Pacific (East Sea, East China Sea) between 2017 and 2020, a research
vessel from the National Institute of Fisheries Science collected larvae and juveniles
that belonged to the family Myctophidae using a bongo net. To accurately identify
species, mtDNA sequences encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S ribosomal RNA were obtained and compared with those of adult voucher specimens.
These comparisons led to the identification of four previously unknown larval
lanternfish species (Diaphus chrysorhynchus, Diaphus suborbitalis, Diaphus watasei and
Lampanyctus fernae), which are described here for the first time. The authors also
describe the cryptic diversity of Benthosema pterotum and provide identification keys
for 10 species of larval lanternfish, in accordance with their developmental stages