Darwin's slimehead (Gephyroberyx darwinii) fish species and information / pictures of Darwin's slimehead - Gephyroberyx darwinii

Darwin's slimehead (Gephyroberyx darwinii) fish species information

Scientific Name
Gephyroberyx darwinii

Common Name
Darwin's slimehead

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 7 - 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-14; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 11 - 12. Head with a concave forehead profile and with large mucous cavities covered by tough skin; mouth large and oblique; opercle and preopercle each with a large strong spine; body deep, about 2.1 times in SL; ventral keel with 10 - 14 very robust scutes; caudal fin forked but rounded. Color of head and body is dusky pink, sides with silvery tinge, fins red; tongue and gill cavity blackish; palate white to red (Ref. 7331). Pale beet red to light rosy. Back light red to brownish red, lower sides light silvery gray (Ref. 37108).

Classification

Classified By

Johnson, 1866

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Sawbellies (Beryciformes)

Family

Slimeheads (Trachichthyidae)

Distribution

Region

Eastern Atlantic

Distribution

Eastern Atlantic: Madeira and the Canary Islands to Senegal, Gulf of Guinea and South Africa. Western Atlantic: southern Scotian Shelf, Canada to Greater Antilles, western Caribbean, Panama and northern Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 7334). Indo-Pacific: off Natal (South Africa), Bay of Bengal, southern Australia, Chatham Plateau around New Zealand, and the Philippines (Ref. 4181). Also in northern South America (Moore, pers. comm.).

Range

43°N - 35°S

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

9 m

Depth To - meters

1210 m

Zone

benthopelagic

Environment

Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 9 - 1210 m (Ref. 9872), usually 200 - 500 m (Ref. 3583)

Trophic Level

3.94000005722046 s.e. 0.65 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

60.0 cm

Common Length

45.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.6250 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial

Vulnerability

High to very high vulnerability (69 of 100)

Resilience

Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated