Leiogaster melanopus Weber, 1913 Hoplostethus natalensis Kotlyar, 1978 Hoplostethus mediterraneus (Cuvier, 1829) Hoplostethus atlanticus (Collett, 1889) The smallscale slimehead (Hoplostethus melanopus) is a deepwater fish of the family Trachichthyidae.

It lives on the continental shelf at a depths of 400–914 m (1,312–2,999 ft).

It can reach sizes of up to 25.0 cm (9.8 in) TL.

It is a brownish-grey color with blackish fins.

It is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans along the coasts of South Africa, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, Madagascar, Japan, Indonesia, and Namibia.