Softhead grenadier (Malacocephalus laevis) fish species and information / pictures of Softhead grenadier - Malacocephalus laevis

Softhead grenadier (Malacocephalus laevis) fish species information

Scientific Name
Malacocephalus laevis

Common Name
Softhead grenadier

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 229; Anal spines: 0. Head uniformly scaled, including the mandibles and the ventral aspects of the snout and suborbital. Snout blunt, its tip with a conical tubercle. The trunk is short, the body tapers abruptly from behind the first dorsal fin. The caudal fin is absent.

Classification

Classified By

Lowe, 1843

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Cods (Gadiformes)

Family

Grenadiers or rattails (Macrouridae)

Distribution

Region

Atlantic, Indian and Pacific

Distribution

Atlantic, Indian and Pacific: Western Atlantic: Strait of Florida to Brazil, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Eastern Atlantic: Iceland (Ref. 12462) and Faroes to South Africa. Indian Ocean: Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, off Maldives and off East African coast. Western Pacific: Indonesian area and Australia. Eastern Central Pacific (Ref. 9315). Malacocephalus hawaiiensis, Malacocephalus luzonensis, and Malacocephalus nipponensis are closely related to Malacocephalus laevis and may eventually prove to represent populations of this species, if a comprehensive comparison of material from the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans is done (Ref. 1371).

Range

62°N - 43°S, 97°W - 124°E

Environment

Climate

Deep-water

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

200 m

Depth To - meters

1000 m

Zone

bathydemersal

Environment

Marine; bathydemersal; non-migratory; depth range 200 - 1000 m (Ref. 1371), usually 300 - 750 m (Ref. 3587)

Trophic Level

4.24 s.e. 0.75 Based on diet studies.

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

40.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5078 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

Vulnerability

High vulnerability (57 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated