Hyperoglyphe perciformis
Barrelfish
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Centrolophidae (Medusafishes)
Hyperoglyphe
Hyperoglyphe perciformis (Barrelfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page.
Learn more about our species accounts.
Characters
Moderately deep-bodied and compressed, with short, stout dorsal fin spines; spinous preopercular margin; pelvic fin inserts under pectoral fin base. Dorsal profile of head strongly convex, snout very blunt. Nares near tip of snout, anterior naris round, posterior naris slitlike. Eye lacks adipose tissue. Mouth moderately oblique, lower jaw included in upper jaw, upper jaw extending below eye. Preoperculum striated, margin with many small spines. Opercular margin finely denticulate or entire. Gill rakers on first arch: 6 or 7 upper limb, 1 in corner, 15 to 17 lower limb. Measurements (% SL): head length 30%–34%, snout length 7%–8%, eye diameter 6%–9%, upper jaw length 11%–12%, pectoral fin length 22%–25%, pelvic fin length 16%–21%, caudal peduncle depth 10%–12%, body depth 35%–43%. Pectoral fin rays 21 to 23. Dorsal fin originates slightly behind pectoral fin base, with 8 or 9 short spines and 19 to 21 rays. Anal fin with 3 spines and 16 or 17 rays. Body, operculum, and median fin bases covered with moderately large ctenoid scales. Lateral line arched anteriorly to midlength of anal fin base, with 89 to 95 scales. Vertebrae 25: 10 precaudal, 15 caudal.
Greenish gray or bluish gray to reddish brown, often with a mottled pattern, darker dorsally than ventrally. Median fins usually darker than body.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from Nova Scotia and Bermuda to the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Northern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Adults occur near the bottom between 60 and 121 m. Juveniles associated with drifting seaweed.
Biology
Mollusks, squids, crustaceans, and small ray-finned fishes.
Maximum known size is 910 mm TL.
Lives in deep water over continental slopes. Adults in submarine canyons, young more widely found in surface layers and may occur at times close inshore docks. Young to 30 cm common in large groups during summer and autumn under floating boards, boxes and barrels. Does not associate with medusae. Adults probably schooling in depths but not on the bottom. Feed on small fishes and crustaceans; also sqiud and molluscs (Ref. 5951). Probably a spring spawner. (see Ref 4542).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-02-04. Resilience: Low (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish.
References
Ginsburg 1954
Haedrich 1967
Haedrich 1986b
Haedrich 2002a
Dawson 1972a
Scott and Scott 1988
Boschung 1992
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Bauchot, M.-L. (1987) Poissons osseux. p. 891-1421. In W. Fischer, M.L. Bauchot and M. Schneider (eds.) Fiches FAO d'identification pour les besoins de la pêche. (rev. 1). Méditerranée et mer Noire. Zone de pêche 37. Vol. II. Commission des Communautés Européennes and FAO, Rome.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Comments On Hyperoglyphe perciformis