Southern ocean daggertooth (Anotopterus vorax)

Scientific name: Anotopterus vorax Regan, 1913

The Southern ocean daggertooth (Anotopterus vorax) is a marine fish of the family Anotopteridae. Native range: Southern Ocean, circumglobal. Collected from Meteor and Maud rises, in the Lazarev Sea, and near the South Sandwich Islands.

Biology

Dorsal spines: 0; Dorsal soft rays: 0; Anal soft rays: 13 - 16; Vertebrae: 81 - 85. In adults, head depth 21.3-23.2% of lower jaw length; postorbital region 5.0-6.7% SL or 25.5-30% HL. Rear edge of gill cover overlaps with the vertical of the middle of the 4th vertebrae. Pectoral fins begin at the vertical of the end of the 4th to beginning of 5th vertebrae. Postadipose distance represents 4.6-5.9% SL.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Anotopterus vorax
Family: Anotopteridae (Daggertooth)
Order: Aulopiformes (Grinners)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 105
Common length: 90.0
Depth range: 0–2579 m (0–8461 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 0 - 2579 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Southern Ocean: circumglobal. Collected from Meteor and Maud rises, in the Lazarev Sea, and near the South Sandwich Islands.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Assuming tmax>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