Scientific Name
Melamphaes danae

Common Name
Bigscale

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-16; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 8

Classification

Classified By

Ebeling, 1962

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Pricklefishes, Bigscales and Gibberfishes (Stephanoberyciformes)

Family

Bigscale fishes or ridgeheads (Melamphaidae)

Distribution

Region

Indo-Pacific

Distribution

Indo-Pacific: off Madagascar, throughout Indonesia, north to 25?, in the South Pacific southeastward to 110?W, and in tropical North Pacific.

Range

25°N - 25°S

Environment

Climate

Deep-water

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

75 m

Depth To - meters

1275 m

Zone

bathyalpelagic

Environment

Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 75 - 1275 m (Ref. 58302), usually 125 - 150 m (Ref. 51657)

Trophic Level

3.23 s.e. 0.38 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

2.1 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: of no interest

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (10 of 100)

Resilience

Unknown

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated