Teleostei (teleosts) >
Alepocephaliformes (Slickheads and tubeshoulders.) >
Alepocephalidae (Slickheads)
Etymology: Talismania: Persian, tilism and taken after Greek, telesma, teleo = to make a sacrifice, and after, talisman.
More on authors: Goode & Bean.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 455 - 1460 m (Ref. 4460). Deep-water; 49°N - 35°S, 180°W - 180°E (Ref. 57335)
Circumglobal, tropical and subtropical. Western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Eastern Atlantic: Morocco south to Angola. Northwest Pacific: Ryukyu Trough (Ref. 559). Southeast Pacific: Chile (Ref. 9068).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 16.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4460)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 20 - 22; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 20 - 22. Dorsal and anal fins nearly opposite each other. Lower margin of maxillary serrated, each serration with a thin triangular tooth at the tip. Prevomerine teeth deciduous. Orbit large, its diameter longer than the snout. Pectoral rays not filamentous. Attains 15 cm SL.
Mesopelagic (Ref. 75154).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Markle, D.F. and J.-C. Quéro, 1984. Alepocephalidae (including Bathylaconidae, Bathyprionidae). p. 228-253. 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. (Ref. 4736)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 4.6 - 10.4, mean 6.9 °C (based on 456 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5005 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00347 (0.00163 - 0.00737), b=3.19 (3.00 - 3.38), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tmax>3).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).