Black snake mackerel (Nealotus tripes)

Scientific name: Nealotus tripes Johnson, 1865

The Black snake mackerel (Nealotus tripes) is a marine fish of the family Gempylidae.

Biology

Oceanic, epipelagic to mesopelagic, migrating to the surface at night. Feeds on myctophids and other small fishes, squid and crustaceans. Matures at 15 cm SL.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Nealotus tripes
Family: Gempylidae (Snake mackerels)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 25.0
Common length: 15.0
Depth range: 914–1646 m (2999–5400 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous; depth range 914 - 1646 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Atlantic, Indian and Pacific: in tropical and temperate waters. The southernmost Indian Ocean occurrence (28?08'S, 49?06'E) was based on an unpublished record (R/V VITYAZ-II, station 2781).
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: subsistence fisheries
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tmax>3)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026