Hapuku wreckfish (Polyprion oxygeneios)

Scientific name: Polyprion oxygeneios Schneider & Forster, 1801

Hapuku wreckfish (Polyprion oxygeneios)

The Hapuku wreckfish (Polyprion oxygeneios) is a marine fish of the family Polyprionidae.

Biology

Deepwater species. Adults occur generally over rough ground from the central shelf (about 100 m) to the shelf edge and down to the upper slope. Juveniles are found in surface waters, perhaps school in association with drifting weed. Feed on barracouta and pilchards, in addition to various bottom-dwelling fish. Are primary gonochorists. Preyed upon by sperm whales. It is taken by droplining down to 400 m, and is sometimes seen in the trawled catch. Utilized fresh and frozen; can be steamed, fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Polyprion oxygeneios
Family
Polyprionidae (Wreckfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
150
Common length
100.0
Depth range
50–854 m (164–2802 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; depth range 50 - 854 m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Circumglobal in southern waters. Known from Australia, New Zealand, Juan Fernandez Archipelago off Chile, and the Tristan da Cunha Group of the South Atlantic; incidentally caught off Chilean Patagonia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (tm=10-13; tmax=60)

Sources

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

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