Description: A medium-sized, slender fish, somewhat deep-bodied. The snout is blunt and rounded; has a large mouth with a single row of small conical teeth in both jaws. A single continuous dorsal fin originates ahead of the pectoral fins. Pectoral fins rounded in young; pointed in adults. The caudal peduncle is broad and long. Caudal fin broad, stiff and slightly forked. Body covered in small, smooth scales which are easily shed; the head is naked. Dark green dorsally; lighter on the sides and below. Young are brightly coloured, with a mottled pattern.
Global Distribution: Central and South Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea; also reported from the Western Atlantic. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 100.0 cm (total length); common length 60.0 cm (TL).
Depth range: FishBase: 70 - 700 m, usually 80 - 240 m.
Habitat: Prefers deep water at the edge of continental shelves and around oceanic islands; larger specimens near the bottom. Young are epipelagic and associate with floating jellyfish.
Feeding habits: Feeds on planktonic organisms, especially tunicates.
Trophic level: FishBase: 3.5
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Commercial species.
Conservation status: Global: Not evaluated.
Europe: Least concern.
Nutritional information & food safety:
REFERENCES
Direcção Regional de Pescas, Madeira.
Fischer W., Bianchi G., Scott W.B., eds. (1981). FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Eastern Central Atlantic; fishing areas 34, 47 (in part). Canada Funds-in-Trust. Ottawa, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, by arrangement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, vol. 1, 326 pp.
Hureau J.-C., ed. (1984-1985). Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO. Accessed through: Marine Species Identification Portal. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://species-identification.org (2014).
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
Nieto A., Ralph G.M., Comeros-Raynal M.T., Kemp J., GarcÃa Criado M., Allen D.J., Dulvy N.K., Walls R.H.L., Russell B., Pollard D., GarcÃa S., Craig M., Collette B.B., Pollom R., Biscoito M., Labbish Chao N., Abella A., Afonso P., Ãlvarez H., Carpenter K.E., Clò S., Cook R., Costa M.J., Delgado J., Dureuil M., Ellis J.R., Farrell E.D., Fernandes P., Florin A-B., Fordham S., Fowle, S., Gil de Sola L., Gil Herrera J., Goodpaster A., Harvey M., Heessen H., Herler J., Jung A., Karmovskaya E., Keskin C., Knudsen S.W., Kobyliansky S., KovaÄić M., Lawson J.M., Lorance P., McCully Phillips S., Munroe T., Nedreaas K., Nielsen J., Papaconstantinou C., Polidoro B., Pollock C.M., Rijnsdorp A.D., Sayer C., Scott J., Serena F., Smith-Vaniz W.F., Soldo A., Stump E., Williams J.T. (2015). Europen Red List of Marine Fishes. IUCN and European Union, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 90 pp.
