Scopelosaurus smithii
No common name
NS
GNR
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Aulopiformes
Notosudidae (Waryfishes)
Scopelosaurus
Scopelosaurus smithii
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
Elongate, slender, and slightly compressed posteriorly; posterior infraorbital bones forming a prominent anterior crest bordering eyes and a posterior, expanded, lobed lamella; body depth 7.9-9.9% SL; head length 25.5-28.9% SL; snout length 6.6-9% SL; upper jaw length 12.1-15.2% SL; pectoral fin length 18.6% SL; caudal peduncle depth 5.1% SL; jaw teeth small, in single band in premaxilla, and in double band in lower jaw; vomer and palatine with patches of small teeth; gill rakers 1 on epibranch, 1 in corner, and 12-16 on lower limb; pectoral fin inserts above midline of body with 11-14 rays; dorsal fin originates at about midlength with 10-12 rays; pelvic fin inserts anterior to dorsal fin base with 9 rays; anal fin with 17-19 rays; dorsal adipose fin above end of anal fin base; caudal fin forked; lateral line scales 54-57; vertebrae 53-56; pyloric caecae 12-16
Bright silver with bluish iridescence
Distribution
Eastern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical seas; adults near the bottom between 200-600 m; young in epipelagic and mesopelagic realms between 50-200 m
Biology
222 mm SL
Larvae are epipelagic, young inhabit the layers between 50-200 m, adults benthopelagic and found deeper than 500 m over continental and insular slopes (Ref. 6552, 6602). Mesopelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds mainly on zooplankton. Extensive migrations by juveniles and adults, probably for feeding in the subtropical belts. Spawning occurs in tropical waters, especially in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean (Ref. 6689).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-07-20.
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
Marshall 1966
Uyeno et al. 1983
Krefift 1984
Krefift 1986
Krefft, G. (1990) Notosudidae. p. 361-364. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
Krefft, G. (1986) Notosudidae. p. 268-270. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Krefft, G. (1984) Notosudidae (including Scopelosauridae). p. 421-425. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 p.
Comments On Scopelosaurus smithii