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Teleostei (teleosts) > Beryciformes (Sawbellies) > Melamphaidae (Bigscale fishes or ridgeheads)
Etymology: Melamphaes: Greek, melan, -anos = black + Greek, amphi = both side (Ref. 45335).

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

Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 0 - 800 m (Ref. 36655), usually 150 - 200 m (Ref. 6747). Deep-water; 40°N - 40°S (Ref. 117121)

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

Indo-Pacific and Atlantic: in tropical and subtropical waters. Southeast Pacific: Chile (Ref. 9068). South China Sea (Ref.74511).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 2.5, range 2 - 2.9 cm
Max length : 2.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4241)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 17; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10; Vertebrae: 28 - 30. Branchiostegal rays: 8 (Ref. 36655). Head with obtuse angle in the frontal margin over front of eye. Preopercular angle with a feeble protection marking end of weak ridge (Ref. 37108).

Adults found mainly below 150-200 m (Ref. 6747). Larvae and juveniles primarily found in depths as shallow as 35-40 m (Ref. 36655). Oviparous, with planktonic eggs and larvae (Ref. 36655). Collections were done mainly by using nonclosing nets (Ref. 117121).

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

Oviparous (Ref. 36655).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Ebeling, A.W., 1986. Melamphaidae. p. 427-432. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 4241)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 01 July 2015

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 10.6 - 21.3, mean 15.7 °C (based on 183 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01072 (0.00442 - 0.02595), b=3.10 (2.89 - 3.31), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.0 ±0.00 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

Melamphaes simus Ebeling, 1962