King of herrings (Regalecus glesne)

Scientific name: Regalecus glesne Ascanius, 1772

The King of herrings (Regalecus glesne) is a marine fish of the family Regalecidae. Native range: Atlantic Ocean, widely distributed, including the Mediterranean. Indo-Pacific. Eastern Pacific: Topanga Beach in southern California, USA to Chile.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0. Head and body silver in color with blue streaks; body with blackish streaks and spots. Dorsal fins crimson in color and with 10-12 + about 400 soft rays. Pelvic fin represented by a prolonged, ribbon-like ray.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Regalecus glesne
Family: Regalecidae (Oarfishes)
Order: Lampriformes (Velifers, Tube-eyes and Ribbonfishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 1,100
Common length: 300
Depth range: 20–1000 m (66–3281 ft)
Environment: Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; depth range 20 - 1000 m, usually 20 - 200 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Atlantic Ocean: widely distributed, including the Mediterranean. Indo-Pacific. Eastern Pacific: Topanga Beach in southern California, USA to Chile.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Assuming tm>10)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026