There are currently seven recognized extant species in this genus: •
Argyropelecus aculeatus Valenciennes, 1850 (lovely hatchetfish, Atlantic silver hatchetfish) •
Argyropelecus affinis Garman, 1899 (Pacific hatchetfish) •
Argyropelecus gigas Norman, 1930 (giant hatchetfish, greater silver hatchetfish) •
Argyropelecus hemigymnus Cocco, 1829 (half-naked hatchetfish, short silver hatchetfish, spurred hatchetfish) •
Argyropelecus lychnus Garman, 1899 (tropical hatchetfish) •
Argyropelecus olfersii (
G. Cuvier, 1829) •
Argyropelecus sladeni Regan, 1908 (Sladen's hatchetfish, silvery hatchetfish)
Fossil record Extinct
Argyropelecus species include: • †
Argyropelecus bullockii David, 1943 (
Late Miocene of
Monterey and
Modelo Formations, California) • †
Argyropelecus iranicus Ridolfi
et al., 2025 (
Middle Eocene of
Pabdeh Formation, Iran) • †
Argyropelecus logearti Arambourg, 1929 (Late Miocene of
Algeria and Italy) • †
Argyropelecus priscus Cosmovici & Pauca, 1943 (
Oligocene of the
Czech Republic, Poland,
Romania, and
North Caucasus, Russia) • †
Argyropelecus zagrosensis Ridolfi
et al., 2025 (Middle Eocene of Pabdeh Formation, Iran) '', a
fossil species from the
Oligocene of
Romania The earliest unequivocal fossils of
Argyropelecus date to the
Bartonian stage of the
Eocene. ==References==