Razorback scabbardfish (Assurger anzac)

Scientific name: Assurger anzac Alexander, 1917

The Razorback scabbardfish (Assurger anzac) is a marine fish of the family Trichiuridae.

Biology

Dorsal soft rays (total): 116-123; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 74 - 87; Vertebrae: 125 - 129. Body very elongate and compressed. Head profile straight or scarcely convex, with sagittal crest strongly elevated. Both jaws have a short dermal process; the lower jaw longer than the upper jaw. The dorsal fin has a few weak anterior spines that hardly differ from the soft rays. Body color silvery, dorsal fin membrane black before the third to the fourth soft ray.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Assurger anzac
Family: Trichiuridae (Cutlassfishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 250
Common length: 200
Depth range: 150–400 m (492–1312 ft)
Environment: Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 150 - 400 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Atlantic Ocean: Walvis Ridge, off Puerto Rico and Uruguay. Indian Ocean: off western Australia. Pacific Ocean: off New Guinea, southern Japan, Midway Island, California, Nazca and Sala y Gomez Ridge.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: subsistence fisheries
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (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