Teleostei (teleosts) >
Scombriformes (Mackerels) >
Trichiuridae (Cutlassfishes) > Aphanopodinae
Etymology: Benthodesmus: Greek, benthos = depth of the sea + Greek, desmos = bond, chain (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Denys W Tucker (d: 2009) was a British zoologist who worked at the BMNH and was an expert in Benthodesmus and related fishes. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 500 - 790 m (Ref. 6181). Deep-water; 17°N - 40°S, 29°E - 157°E (Ref. 6181)
Indo-West Pacific: Philippines, Viet Nam, Molucca Islands and southeastern Australia to Socotra Island, Saya de Malha Bank, Mozambique Channel, off Natal (Ref. 11228) and south of Java.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 77.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6181)
Dorsal spines (total): 39 - 44; Dorsal soft rays (total): 88 - 96; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 76 - 83; Vertebrae: 133 - 142. Body extremely elongate and compressed. Pelvic fins diminutive, composed of a scale-like spine and a rudimentary soft ray. Body is silvery, jaws and opercle blackish. Inside of mouth and gill cavities black.
Juveniles mesopelagic at 500 m.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin, 1993. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 15. Snake mackerels and cutlassfishes of the world (families Gempylidae and Trichiuridae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the snake mackerels, snoeks, escolars, gemfishes, sackfishes, domine, oilfish, cutlassfishes,. scabbardfishes, hairtails, and frostfishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(15):136 p. (Ref. 6181)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 6.8 - 10.5, mean 8.4 °C (based on 91 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5005 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00046 (0.00020 - 0.00105), b=3.12 (2.92 - 3.32), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.1 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Assuming tmax>10).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High vulnerability (58 of 100).
![Image of Benthodesmus tuckeri (Tucker\](/images/thumbnails/gif/tn_Betuc_u0.gif "Image of Benthodesmus tuckeri (Tucker\")
