Scientific Name
Aphanopus carbo

Common Name
Black scabbardfish

Biology
Juveniles mesopelagic (Ref. 6181). Bathypelagic (Ref. 58426). Migrate to midwater at night and feed on crustaceans, cephalopods and fishes (mostly macrourids, morids and alepocephalids). Mature at 80 to 85 cm. Eggs and larvae are pelagic (Ref. 6768). Commercial catch up to 1000 t was caught off Madeira with a specialized commercial deep water longline (Ref. 6255). Appear as bycatch in the trawl fishery west of the British Isles, along the Middle-Atlantic Ridge and at Corner Rise. Important and fabled food fish in Madeira (Ref. 4537). Some specimens reach 145 cm (Nuno Marques, Nomad@netmadeira.com, 12/09).

Classification

Classified By

Lowe, 1839

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Cutlassfishes (Trichiuridae)

Distribution

Region

North Atlantic

Distribution

North Atlantic: on both sides and at underwater rises from Denmark Strait to about 30?N.

Range

69°N - 27°N, 79°W - 3°W

Environment

Climate

Deep-water

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

200 m

Depth To - meters

1700 m

Zone

bathyalpelagic

Environment

Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 200 - 1700 m (Ref. 27000)

Trophic Level

4.48 s.e. 0.77 Based on food items.

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

110 cm

Common Length

70.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5078 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial

Vulnerability

Moderate to high vulnerability (54 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.11-0.25)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated