Description: The largest deep-sea tripodfish. Uniformly black, with extremely elongated pelvic and caudal fin rays which exceed standard length, ending on 'landing pads', on which the fish rests on the ocean floor waiting for prey to approach.
Global Distribution: Eastern Atlantic, including the Mediterranean. Western Atlantic. Western Indian Ocean. Equatorial western Pacific. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 36.8 cm (standard length).
Age:
Weight length rel.:
Growth type:
von Bertallanfy growth parameters:
Reproduction: Synchronously hermaphroditic.
Maturity:
Behavioural ecology: Solitary. A sit and wait predator that perches on substrate with the aid of specialized fin rays (tripod), facing the current.
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 878 - 4720 m.
Habitat: Bathydemersal. Found on lower slope, continental rise and oceanic ridges. Juveniles may be found in midwater.
Feeding habits: Feeds on benthopelagic plankton, including crustaceans and gelatinous organisms. Possibly filter feeders.
Trophic level: FishBase: 3.1
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Not commercial.
Conservation status: Global: Not evaluated.
Europe: Least concern.
Nutritional information & food safety:
REFERENCES
Davis M.P., Chakrabarty P. (2011). Tripodfish (Aulopiformes: Bathypterois) locomotion and landing behaviour from video observation at bathypelagic depths in the Campos Basin of Brazil. Marine Biology Research, 7(3): 297-303.
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.
Sulak K.J. (1977). The systematics and biology of Bathypterois (Pisces, Chlorophthalmidae). Galathea Rep., 14: 49-108.
