Wreckfish (Polyprion americanus)

Scientific name: Polyprion americanus Bloch & Schneider, 1801

Wreckfish (Polyprion americanus)

The Wreckfish (Polyprion americanus) is a marine fish of the family Polyprionidae.

Biology

Adults prefer to inhabit caves and shipwrecks. Juveniles congregate below floating objects. Usually solitary. Feed on large crustaceans, cephalopods and benthic fishes. Spawn in the summer. Are primary gonochorists. Marketed fresh or frozen; eaten steamed, fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked. Minimum depth reported from.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Polyprion americanus
Family
Polyprionidae (Wreckfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
210
Common length
80.0
Depth range
40–600 m (131–1969 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; oceanodromous; depth range 40 - 600 m, usually 100 - 200 m
Climate
Deep-water
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Norway to South Africa, including the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Madeira, Cape Verde, and Tristan da Cunha. Western Atlantic: Newfoundland, Canada and Gulf of Maine to North Carolina, USA. Recorded from Uruguay to Argentina. Western Indian Ocean: St. Paul and Amsterdam islands. Southwest Pacific: New Zealand.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Data deficient (DD),IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.05-0.08; tmax=76; tm=9-10 yrs estimated from VBGF; Fec=3 million)

Sources

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

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