Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Acropomatiformes (Oceanic basses) > Polyprionidae (Wreckfishes)
Etymology: Polyprion: Greek, poly = a lot of + Greek, prion = saw (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Bloch & Schneider.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 40 - 600 m (Ref. 7251), usually 100 - 200 m (Ref. 36731). Deep-water; 70°N - 55°S, 82°W - 179°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Atlantic: Norway to South Africa (Ref. 6633), including the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Madeira, Cape Verde, and Tristan da Cunha. Western Atlantic: Newfoundland, Canada and Gulf of Maine to North Carolina, USA (Ref. 7251). Recorded from Uruguay to Argentina (Ref. 9050). Western Indian Ocean: St. Paul and Amsterdam islands (Ref. 6633). Southwest Pacific: New Zealand (Ref. 5755, 9072).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 77.9 range ? - 90 cm
Max length : 210 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7251); common length : 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3397); max. published weight: 100.0 kg (Ref. 35388); max. reported age: 80 years (Ref. 127279)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10. Bluish grey above, paler below with a silvery sheen; fins blackish brown (Ref. 6633). Juveniles have black blotches on head and body (Ref. 6633). Body tall, compressed. Big mouth with big head and a rough bony ridge across upper part of the gill cover (Ref. 35388).

Adults prefer to inhabit caves and shipwrecks (Ref. 27121). Juveniles congregate below floating objects (Ref. 27121). Usually solitary. Feed on large crustaceans, cephalopods and benthic fishes (Ref. 27121). Spawn in the summer (Ref. 35388). Are primary gonochorists (Ref. 58421). Marketed fresh or frozen; eaten steamed, fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988). Minimum depth reported from Ref. 6633.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Primary gonochorists (Ref. 58421).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Sedberry, George | Collaborators

Wheeler, A., 1992. A list of the common and scientific names of fishes of the British Isles. J. Fish Biol. 41(suppl.A):1-37. (Ref. 5204)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 30 April 2003

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes

FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | FIRMS - Stock assessments | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 5.2 - 19, mean 9.4 °C (based on 672 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.8125 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01318 (0.00965 - 0.01801), b=3.00 (2.91 - 3.09), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.1 ±0.64 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.05-0.08; tmax=76; tm=9-10 yrs estimated from VBGF; Fec=3 million).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (78 of 100).

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): Moderate to high vulnerability (50 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Low.

Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 9.7 [6.1, 21.1] mg/100g; Iron = 0.354 [0.174, 0.670] mg/100g; Protein = 19.6 [19.0, 20.3] %; Omega3 = 0.427 [0.332, 0.549] g/100g; Selenium = 25 [11, 55] μg/100g; VitaminA = 7.95 [1.81, 35.92] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.253 [0.178, 0.380] mg/100g (wet weight); based on nutrient studies.

Polyprion americanus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)