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Teleostei (teleosts) > Beryciformes (Sawbellies) > Melamphaidae (Bigscale fishes or ridgeheads)
Etymology: Melamphaes: Greek, melan, -anos = black + Greek, amphi = both side (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Gilbert.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 50 - 3400 m (Ref. 50550), usually 200 - 500 m (Ref. 36655). Deep-water; 60°N - 27°N, 135°E - 114°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

North Pacific: Japan (Ref. 559); Gulf of Alaska to northern Baja California, Mexico.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 28981)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 16; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9; Vertebrae: 28 - 31. Pectorals long and slender, reaching beyond anus but not as long as head (Ref. 6885). Dark brown or black in color; black on throat and branchiostegals (8-8) (Ref. 6885).

In the sub-arctic region, young may be found at depths between 50-300 m while older individuals occur at depths between 200-500 m (Ref. 6885). Further south, in the transition zone, young are found from 200-300 m and older individuals between 200-500 m (Ref. 6885). Oviparous, with planktonic larvae and eggs (Ref. 36655).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Oviparous (Ref. 36655).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Hart, J.L., 1973. Pacific fishes of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. 180:740 p. (Ref. 6885)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 30 December 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Trophic ecology
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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 1.1 - 7, mean 3.7 °C (based on 133 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01096 (0.00451 - 0.02668), b=3.10 (2.89 - 3.31), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.6 ±0.2 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

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Melamphaes lugubris Gilbert, 1890