Bighead portholefish (Margrethia obtusirostra)

Scientific name: Margrethia obtusirostra Jespersen & T?ning, 1919

The Bighead portholefish (Margrethia obtusirostra) is a marine fish of the family Gonostomatidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-16; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 21 - 26. Yellowish in color, darker dorsally, opercle silver, caudal base and peduncle dark brown. Pectoral and pelvic fins colorless. Dorsal adipose fin present.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Margrethia obtusirostra
Family: Gonostomatidae (Bristlemouths)
Order: Stomiiformes (Lightfishes and Dragonfishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 8.3
Depth range: 100–1739 m (328–5705 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 100 - 1739 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: off Portugal south to Morocco including the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands; off Cape Agulhas, South Africa. Western Atlantic: Southeastern Florida and Bermuda to Venezuela, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Elsewhere, South Atlantic, tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: of no interest
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026