Description: A medium-sized benthopelagic fish. Body soft, elongated, more rounded in the anterior part and laterally compressed behind. Large mouth. Two dorsal fins; the first short-based, without any elongated rays; the second long-based, with straight distal margin; anal fin also long-based. Pelvic fins with two elongated rays developed into long slender feelers, reaching at most to the origin of the anal fin. Caudal fin well developed, separate from other fins, with rounded tip. Brownish red dorsally, somewhat paler ventrally. Vertical fins with a dark edge, sometimes with a pale margin.
Global Distribution: Northeastern Atlantic from the Bay of Biscay to Cape Verde, including offlying islands. Also in the Mediterranean. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 65.0 cm (total length); common length 25.0 cm (TL); maximum published weight 3.9 kg.
Reproduction: Spawns from January to May in the Mediterranean.
Maturity:
Behavioural ecology: Nocturnal, hiding between rocks during the day. Hunts for prey using a sensitive whisker.
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 13 - 614 m, usually 100 - 200 m.
Seine Seamount: detected from 186 m to at least 1200 m.
Habitat: Benthopelagic, found on hard and sandy-muddy bottoms near rocks.
Feeding habits: Feeds on small fish and various invertebrates.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.3
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Commercial species. Commercially it is not distinguished from the closely related Phycis blennoides.
Conservation status: Global: Not evaluated.
Europe: Data deficient.
Nutritional information & food safety:
Proximate composition per 100 g:
energy value 133.90 kcal (6.7% DRV)
protein 22.26 g (44.5% DRV)
fat 0.73 g (1.0% DRV)
of which saturates 0.19 g (0.9% DRV)
omega-3 (EPA+DHA): 0.356 g (recommended: 0.250 - 2.0 g daily)
REFERENCES
Carpenter K.E., ed. (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 2: Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae to Grammatidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. FAO, Rome, pp. 601-1374.
Cohen D.M., Inada T., Iwamoto T., Scialabba N. (1990). FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Family Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125, Vol. 10. FAO, Rome, 442 pp.
Direcção Regional de Pescas, Madeira.
Ferreira S., Sousa R., Delgado J., Carvalho D., Chada T. (2008). Weight-length relationships for demersal fish species caught off the Madeira archipelago (eastern-central Atlantic). Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 24: 93-95.
González J., Hernández C., Marrero P., Rapp E. (2000). Peces de Canarias: GuÃa Submarina (5th edition). Francisco Lemus Editor, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias, Spain, 235 pp.
INIP (1984b). Programa de Apoio às Pescas na Madeira - IV Cruzeiro de Reconhecimento de Pesca e Oceanografia 020390582. Relatório INIP 25, Lisboa, Portugal, 125 pp.
INIP (1984c). Programa de Apoio às Pescas na Madeira - V Cruzeiro de Reconhecimento de Pesca e Oceanografia 020451182. Relatório INIP 31, Lisboa, Portugal, 124 pp.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
Mendes B., Fonseca P., Campos A. (2004). Weight–length relationships for 46 fish species of the Portuguese west coast. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 20(5): 355-361.
Morato T., Afonso P., Lourinho P., Barreiros J.P., Santos R.S., Nash R.D.M. (2001). Length–weight relationships for 21 coastal fish species of the Azores, north-eastern Atlantic. Fisheries Research, 50(3): 297-302.
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.
Rosa A., Menezes G., Melo O., Pinho M.R. (2006). Weight–length relationships of 33 demersal fish species from Azores archipelago. Fisheries Research, 80(2): 329-332.
