New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Least Concern 🌡️ Deep-water

Black dragonfish

Idiacanthus atlanticus Brauer, 1906
Idiacanthus Atlanticus (Idiacanthus atlanticus)
Idiacanthus Atlanticus (Idiacanthus atlanticus)
Max Length
53 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
4
Depth
1239–2000 m
Climate
Deep-water
Resilience
Low
Vulnerability
57.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
deep-water

📖 Overview

Mesopelagic species . Pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are black, with well developed canine teeth, barbel and pelvic fins with six stripes. Males are dark-brown, have no teeth on maxilla and neither barbel nor pelvic fins . Apparently, females live below 500 m during the day and perform vertical migration at night to shallower depths; males always in deep water, ca 1,000-2,000 m .

Scientific Name
Idiacanthus atlanticus
Authority
Brauer, 1906
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Deep-water
Body Shape
Elongated
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
53 cm
Depth Range
1239–2000 m
Trophic Level
4
Resilience
Low
Vulnerability
57.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 55 - 63; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 37 - 42. Pelvic fins with 6 rays (females), absent in males.: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Black dragonfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

small fish
crustaceans
cephalopods

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 1239 - 2000 m . Deep-water; 25°S - 60°S found in sub-Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌑 Deep Water
Trophic Level
4±0.7

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00389 × L3.12 (TL)
Max TL
53cm
Dorsal Rays
59
Anal Rays
40

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2013

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Low
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
57.00/100
High vulnerability
Trophic Level
4
Apex / Top predator
Body Shape
Elongated
Climate Zone
Deep-water
Described By
Brauer, 1906

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 40 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Black dragonfish ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.