Snoek

📖 Overview

Inhabit continental shelves or around islands. Feed on pelagic crustaceans (Euphausia, Nyctiphanes), cephalopods and fishes like anchovy and pilchard . Form schools near the bottom or midwater; sometimes even at the surface at night . Prefers temperature between 13° and 18°C . Marketed fresh, smoked, canned and frozen; eaten fried, broiled, microwaved and baked . Good for fish and chips or smoking; also made into fillet or fish cake in Japan . Commonly called as Baracoutta and because it is a fast predator, several English vessels were named after it. In the UK during WW II, this canned fish was commonly eaten that many older people have an aversion to it (D. Parkyn, pers. comm. 05/2022).

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 19 - 21; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 10 - 12; Vertebrae: 35. Body elongate and strongly compressed. Lateral line single, running close to the upper contour of the body below most of the first dorsal-fin base then abruptly curving ventrally. Body is dark blue, slightly paler on belly; first dorsal fin membrane black .: elongated; Cross section: compressed.

🌀 Behaviour

This species will form schools near the bottom or midwater; sometimes even near the surface at night. It prefers sea water temperature between 13 and 18 °C (55 and 64 °F). Leionura atun are reputed to attack anything that moves near them in the water.

🦐 Diet

The snoek is a near apex predator. They are known to be taken by South African fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus in South African waters.

🥚 Reproduction

Spawning patterns are complex, with different stock spawning at different times of the year .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 550 m , usually 100 - 500 m . Subtropical; 13°C - 18°C ; 21°S - 56°S, 75°W - 177°E Southwest Atlantic: Uruguay, Argentina and Tierra del Fuego.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 28 records indexed .

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