Description: A medium-sized fish. Compressed, deep body with a steeply curved head profile. Large mouth with heavy jaws. Long-based dorsal and anal fin. Pectoral fins long and wing-like. Prominent axillary scale at the base of the pelvic fin. Silvery black with lighter paired fins. Posterior edge of caudal fin black.
Global Distribution: Atlantic, Indian and South Pacific. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 100.0 cm (total length); common length 40.0 cm (standard length); maximum published weight 6.0 kg.
Population structure & migrations: Highly migratory species. Seasonal migrant occurring in small schools, movements apparently temperature-related.
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 0-1000 m.
Habitat: Oceanic, epipelagic to bathypelagic. Occasionally comes close to shore.
Feeding habits: Opportunistic feeder on small fishes, cephalopods, amphipods, and euphausiids.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.1
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Commercial species.
Conservation status: Global: Not evaluated.
Europe: Least concern.
Nutritional information & food safety:
Proximate composition per 100 g:
energy value 206.7 kcal (10.3% DRV)
protein 18.38 g (36.8% DRV)
fat 10.85 g (15.5% DRV)
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., Rome.
Direcção Regional de Pescas, Madeira.
Eder E.B., Lewis M.N (2005). Proximate composition and energetic value of demersal and pelagic prey species from the SW Atlantic Ocean. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 291: 43-52.
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
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