Scopeloberyx opisthopterus
No common name
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Melamphaidae (Ridgeheads)
Scopeloberyx
Scopeloberyx opisthopterus
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
Oblong and sub-cylindrical body shape; relatively smooth head; large head pores; pelvic fins located relatively far behind pectoral fin insertions; margins of head ridges not serrate; internarial spine absent; teeth in jaws arranged in bands up to three to five tooth rows wide; gill rakers on first arch long and narrow, 2 to 4 on epibranch and 10 to 13 on lower limb; supramaxilla well developed; head length 30% to 36%, upper jaw length 15% to 20%, eye diameter 1.8% to 3.6%, body depth 23% to 27%, predorsal length 46% to 52%, horizontal distance between pectoral and pelvic fin insertions 10% or more, caudal peduncle length 25% to 30%, and caudal peduncle depth 6% to 11% of SL; pectoral fin with 12 to 15 rays; dorsal fin with two or three spines and 11 or 12 rays; pelvic fin with one spine and 7 or 8 rays; anal fin originates under last or second-to-last dorsal fin ray and has one spine and 7 or 8 rays; scales in lateral series 23 to 25; cheek scales number 3 or 4; vertebrae number 24 to 27
Dark brown to black
Distribution
Western Atlantic off Bermuda and in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Mesopelagic and bathypelagic depths, generally below 500 to 600 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 37 mm SL
Trawled below 500 m.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-02-04. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
Parr 1933
Ebeling 1962
Ebeling 1986
Ebeling and Weed 1973
Murdy et al. 1983
Maul 1986c
Keene et al. 1987
Ebeling, A.W. (1986) Melamphaidae. p. 427-432. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Hopkins, T.L., T.T. Sutton and T.M. Lancraft (1996) The trophic structure and predation impact of a low latitude midwater fish assemblage. Prog. Oceanog. 38:205-239.
Yang, J., Z. Huang, S. Chen and Q. Li (1996) The Deep-Water Pelagic Fishes in the Area form Nansha Islands To the Northeast part of South China Sea. Science Publication Company, Beijing. 190 pp.
Comments On Scopeloberyx opisthopterus