Orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) fish species and information / pictures of Orange roughy - Hoplostethus atlanticus

Orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) fish species information

Scientific Name
Hoplostethus atlanticus

Common Name
Orange roughy

Biology
Inhabits deep, cold waters over steep continental slopes, ocean ridges and sea-mounts. Shallow range of usual occurrence from Ref. 27121. Appears to be dispersed over both rough bottoms and steep, rough grounds where it feeds on crustaceans and fish. In New Zealand, the main prey include mesopelagic and benthopelagic prawns, fish, and squid, with other organisms such as mysids, amphipods and euphausiids occasionally being important (Ref. 9072). Juveniles feed mainly on crustaceans (Ref. 27075, 27076). Grows very slowly and is one of the longest lived fish species known. Based on parasite and trace-element analyses, orange roughy is a sedentary species with little movement between fish-management zones (Ref. 27089). Little is known of the larvae and juveniles which are probably confined to deep water (Ref. 27088). The fishery targets sporadically formed d

Classification

Classified By

Collett, 1889

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Sawbellies (Beryciformes)

Family

Slimeheads (Trachichthyidae)

Distribution

Region

Western Atlantic

Distribution

Western Atlantic: Gulf of Maine (Ref. 4784) [in error according to Moore (Fishes of the Gulf of Maine, in press), should be off northern Nova Scotia]. Eastern Atlantic: Iceland to Morocco; Walvis Bay, Namibia to off Durban, South Africa. Indo-Pacific: south-central Indian Ocean and New Zealand. Eastern Pacific: Chile (Ref. 27363). Several stocks may exist as suggested by distinct spawning sites and seasons.

Range

65°N - 56°S, 84°W - 168°W

Environment

Climate

Deep-water

Water Temperature From

3 °C

Water Temperature To

9 °C

Depth From - meters

180 m

Depth To - meters

1809 m

Zone

bathyalpelagic

Environment

Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 180 - 1809 m (Ref. 6390), usually 400 - 900 m (Ref. 3583)

Trophic Level

4.3 s.e. 0.62 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

75.0 cm

Common Length

40.0 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: highly commercial

Vulnerability

High to very high vulnerability (73 of 100)

Resilience

Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=0.04-0.06; tm=5-33; tmax=140; Fec=10,000)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated