Scientific Name
Lepidopus caudatus

Common Name
Silver scabbardfish

Biology
Occur on continental shelf, along its edge and upper slope down to 400 m (600 m in Australia), usually over sandy and muddy bottoms from 100 to 250 m (over 300 m in Australia). Depth range from 333-620 m in the eastern Ionian Sea (Ref. 56504). Migrate into midwater at night. Form schools; occasionally found inshore in upwelling of deep water when it appears at surface. Feed on crustaceans, small squid and fish (Ref. 6768). Eggs and larvae are pelagic (Ref. 6768).

Classification

Classified By

Euphrasen, 1788

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Cutlassfishes (Trichiuridae)

Distribution

Region

Eastern Atlantic

Distribution

Eastern Atlantic: France and western Mediterranean to Senegal, including Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and offshore seamounts; Cape Fria, Namibia to Agulhas Bank, South Africa including northern Walvis Ridge. Southern Indian Ocean: seamounts 30 to 35?S. Southwest Pacific: Australia (New South Wales to southern West Australia) and New Zealand. Southeast Pacific: Peru. A doubtful record from Cape San Lucas, Mexico.

Range

64°N - 49°S, 29°W - 176°W

Environment

Climate

Deep-water

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

42 m

Depth To - meters

620 m

Zone

benthopelagic

Environment

Marine; benthopelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 42 - 620 m (Ref. 56504), usually 100 - 300 m (Ref. 6181)

Trophic Level

3.85 s.e. 0.65 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

210 cm

Common Length

117 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5156 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

Moderate to high vulnerability (54 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.3; tmax=7)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated