Shortfin spiny eel (Notacanthus bonaparte)

Scientific name: Notacanthus bonaparte Risso, 1840

Shortfin spiny eel (Notacanthus bonaparte)

The Shortfin spiny eel (Notacanthus bonaparte) is a marine fish of the family Notacanthidae. Native range: Eastern Atlantic, Faeroes and Ireland to Cape Blanc, Mauritania including western Mediterranean (Italy). Reported from Iceland.

Biology

Hovers and swims along at slight head-down angle. Often caught in large numbers and possibly gregarious. Depth range from 700-2000 m and from 487-1034 m in the eastern Ionian Sea. Feeds on sessile and motile invertebrates such as bryozoans, ophiuroids, amphipods and sponges. Spawns in June-July in the Mediterranean. Sexually dimorphic, males generally smaller and with enlarged nasal rosettes.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Notacanthus bonaparte
Family
Notacanthidae (Deep-sea spiny eels)
Order
Notacanthiformes (Halosaurs and deep-sea Spiny eels)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
26.0
Depth range
487–2000 m (1598–6562 ft)
Environment
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 487 - 2000 m
Climate
Deep-water
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Faeroes and Ireland to Cape Blanc, Mauritania including western Mediterranean (Italy). Reported from Iceland.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless

Sources

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

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