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Species · accepted · checked 2026-08-05

Diaphus theta

California headlightfish

WoRMS 272694ITIS 162584GBIF 2406199key worms:272694
i

2026-08-05: itis_id 162584 via WoRMS external link

Silhouette · T. Michael Keesey · Public Domain Mark · PhyloPic, drawn from Myctophum punctatum
California headlightfish11.4 cm
US quarter2.4 cm

max · worms_attribute

Photograph of Diaphus theta
Photo · NOAA, no known copyright restrictions (public domain) · Public domain · inat

Diaphus theta, the California headlightfish, is a species of lanternfish found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.W CalCOFI holds 191 observations of it in 2 datasets between 1972 and 2022, as larva.R

191
observations
191
records
191
sampling events
1972–2022
years
2
datasets
larva
life stages

Observed in
i

One row per dataset, one cell per year, darker with more observations — the same strip the front door draws per dataset. Each row ends with the name that dataset uses (dataset_taxon); the accepted name is written once, in the title above. A quiet pill marks a name the authority does not accept.

  • Ichthyoplankton 127 obs · 127 events · 1972–2022 · larva
    name used: Diaphus theta California headlightfish · code 227
  • Mesopelagic Fish 64 obs · 64 events · 2010–2012
    name used: Diaphus theta · code Diaphus theta

How big is it
i

Every mark is a measured length with its own source — hover one to read it. The reference objects are _data/size_reference.csv: two of them, the 505 µm bongo mesh and the net's ring, are CalCOFI's own sampling gear.

Ways in
i

Read from taxa.json of release v2026.09.11, written at release by calcofi4db::build_taxa_catalog(). The catalog's index is /species/.

Explorerdb-query
ERDDAPCalCOFI's own server, the Ichthyoplankton table constrained to this taxon
https://erddap.calcofi.io/erddap/tabledap/swfsc_ichthyo.html?&taxon_key=%22worms:272694%22