Teleostei (teleosts) >
Lampriformes (Velifers, tube-eyes and ribbonfishes) >
Trachipteridae (Ribbonfishes)
Eponymy: Zu was the storm god of Babylonian mythology. The etymology commented that it was: “…a fitting name … since, until recent years, these fishes were known mainly from individuals found cast ashore in the wakes of storms.” (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic. Deep-water
Circumglobal in the tropical through temperate Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 118 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2713)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 120 - 150; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0; Vertebrae: 62 - 69. Young silvery in color with around 6 vertical bars on dorsal part of body and 4 on ventral part; tail with around 6 complete black bars; caudal fin blackish, base of fin pale (Ref. 2713). Adults silver grey in color but paler ventrally; dorsal fin scarlet; caudal fin reddish black, darker distally (Ref. 2713).
Oceanic (Ref. 26340) and mesopelagic species. Adults feed on small fishes and squids (Ref. 6392). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 36610). Swim with head up (Ref. 36731). Maximum depth reported in Ref. 36610 is 90m. Other references should be looked for.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
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. (Ref. 3397)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: bycatch
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 15.7 - 28.9, mean 26.5 °C (based on 3260 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.7510 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.5 ±0.60 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Very high vulnerability (86 of 100).
