| Family: |
Macrouridae (Grenadiers or rattails) |
| Max. size: |
102 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathypelagic; marine; depth range 282 - 5180 m |
| Distribution: |
Worldwide: marginal to the Southern Ocean (Ref. 5171). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 2-2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 123-124; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 115-115. The head is large; the eyes also large. The snout is elongated, somewhat conical; the mouth is small and inferior. The body tapers from behind the first dorsal fin. The light organ extends past midway between the anal origin and the ventral insertion. Color is uniformly brownish, except for the abdomen which is bluish. |
| Biology: |
A deep-slope upper continental rise species, common in deep waters of most oceans (Ref. 1371). Bathypelagic (Ref. 58426). Feeds on a variety of benthic invertebrates (especially crustaceans and holothuroids) when young, switching to primarily mesopelagic and bathypelagic fish, and sea urchins and cephalopods as adults (Ref. 1371). Sex ratio was 2.6:1 male to female (n = 449) in the Rockall Tough, N.E. Atlantic (Ref. 40742). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 11 July 2012 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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