Bigeye squaretail
📖 Overview
Oceanic, mostly in the upper 91 m but adults probably deeper . Occasionally strays close to shore . Young commonly inquiline in pelagic tunicates, especially Salpa and Pyrosoma . Feeds on soft-bodied medusae, ctenophores and especially salps; will also take plankton . The flesh may be poisonous .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 14 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 13; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 9 - 12; Vertebrae: 44 - 51. Light brown to nearly black in color.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Bigeye squaretail is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous ; depth range 0 - 800 m , usually 0 - 91 m . Subtropical; 47°N - 8°N
🌿 Ecology
soft-bodied medusae, ctenophores and especially salps; will also take plankton (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
⚠️ Venom Profile
- immediate intense pain
- swelling
- erythema
- occasional nausea and weakness
Analgesia; wound care; tetanus prophylaxis; severe cases may require monitoring for systemic effects.
References: Compiled from Bhide (2018), Halstead et al. (1988) and family-specific envenomation literature
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | bigeye squaretail |
| 🇫🇷French | Tétragonure Atlantique |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | Tsumari-doku-uroko-ibodai · Tsumaridokurokoibodai · ツマリドクウロコイボダイ |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Tetragono-do-Atlântico |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Алет большеглазый · Большеглазый алет |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | colicuadrado ojón · Escolar-de-natura Atlántico |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ctenodax wilkinsoni | MacLeay | 1886 | Synonym |
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 17 records indexed .
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