Description: A large, oblong, fusiform fish, slightly compressed laterally. Single lateral line, very sinuous. Two dorsal fins, the first one very low. Finlets present after the second dorsal and anal fins. Prominent lateral keel on caudal peduncle, flanked by smaller accessory keels above and below. Caudal fin forked. Pelvic fins small but well developed. Body almost uniformly dark brown, becoming almost black with age.
Global Distribution: Circumglobal in tropical and temperate seas, but probably absent from the northern Indian Ocean. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 200 cm (standard length); common length : 150 cm (SL); maximum published weight 45.0 kg.
Habitat: Benthopelagic. Occurs mainly over the continental slope.
Feeding habits: Feeds on squid, crustaceans and a wide variety of fishes.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.3
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Minor commercial species. By-catch of the drifting longlines for black scabbardfish.
Conservation status: Global: Not evaluated.
Europe: Data deficient.
Nutritional information & food safety: Health warning: flesh contains indigestible wax esters and may have purgative properties.
REFERENCES
Carpenter K.E., ed. (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae), sea turtles and marine mammals. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. FAO, Rome, pp. 1375-2127.
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.
