Hollowsnout grenadier (Coelorinchus caelorhincus)

Scientific name: Coelorinchus caelorhincus Risso, 1810

The Hollowsnout grenadier (Coelorinchus caelorhincus) is a marine fish of the family Macrouridae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Eyes large; snout short, moderately pointed, its anterolateral margin incompletely supported by bone. Head ridges strong but with rather fine spinules; terminal snout scute trifid, wider than long, small and blunt to large and pointed, with a terminal and two lateral arms of about equal size. Underside of the snout naked medially. Light organ large, a black naked fossa between and slightly anterior to the pelvic fin bases. Overall color is pale grayish-brown to swarthy, with a series of broad saddle marks in some; oral cavity pale to dark. Spiny fin ray of first dorsal fin with a smooth and rounded leading edge.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Coelorinchus caelorhincus
Family: Macrouridae (Grenadiers or rattails)
Order: Gadiformes (Cods)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 48.0
Common length: 30.0
Depth range: 90–1250 m (295–4101 ft)
Environment: Marine; benthopelagic; non-migratory; depth range 90 - 1250 m, usually 200 - 500 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. A loose sort of southern limit for Caelorinchus caelorhincus caelorhincus is probably around Cape Verde; most specimens south and to the east into the Gulf of Guinea are likely to be Caelorinchus caelorhincus geronimoi (Iwamoto 1997, pers. Comm.). Northwest Atlantic: Canada.
Conservation status (IUCN): Data deficient (DD)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.13-0.15; tmax=8)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026