Black scabbardfish
📖 Overview
Juveniles mesopelagic . Bathypelagic . Migrate to midwater at night and feed on crustaceans, cephalopods and fishes (mostly macrourids, morids and alepocephalids). Mature at 80 to 85 cm. Eggs and larvae are pelagic . Data from study reveal mature individuals undertake horizontal migration to spawning and nursery grounds located off the Madeira and Canary islands . Commercial catch up to 1000 t was caught off Madeira with a specialized commercial deep water longline . Appear as bycatch in the trawl fishery west of the British Isles, along the Middle-Atlantic Ridge and at Corner Rise. Important and fabled food fish in Madeira . Some specimens reach 145 cm (Nuno Marques, Nomad@netmadeira.com, 12/09).
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 34 - 41; Dorsal soft rays (total): 52 - 56; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 43 - 48; Vertebrae: 97 - 100. Body is extremely elongated, with body depth 10.8 to 13.4 times in SL. The snout is large with strong fang-like teeth. Pelvic fins represented by a single spine in juveniles but entirely absent in adults. Color is coppery black with iridescent tint. The inside of the mouth and gill cavities black.: eel-like; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Black scabbardfish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Black scabbardfish is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Displays determinate fecundity . Mature individuals undertake horizontal migration to spawning and nursery grounds . Suspended pre-spawning stages occurred in some areas of the Northeast Atlantic caused by atresia in ovaries .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous ; depth range 200 - 2300 m , usually 700 - 1300 m . Deep-water; 71°N - 23°S, 82°W - 17°E North Atlantic: on both sides and at underwater rises from Denmark Strait to Cape Verde.
🌿 Ecology
crustaceans, cephalopods and fishes (mostly macrourids, morids and alepocephalids)
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aphanopus acus | Maul | 1948 | Synonym |
| Aphanopus minor | Collett | 1887 | Synonym |
| Aphanopus schmidti | Saemundsson | 1908 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 34 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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