Bermuda Catfish

Body moderately elongate. Mouth with fang-like teeth. Spinescent gill rakers on the first arch with 1 - 3 cusps and many small spines; the angular raker long and triple-rooted. Body entirely scaled at over 20 - 25 cm SL. Pyloric caeca 7 or 8. Color is grayish to copper brown; fins blackish at over 40 cm SL, yellowish with black tips in smaller specimens (the first dorsal fin with a black blotch on two anteriormost membranes); the buccal and branchial cavities are black. Pelvic fin reduced to one spine that becomes entirely absent in specimens more than 40 cm SL.

Probably spawns throughout the year in warmer seas.

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 18 - 20; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 20; Anal spines: 2 - 3; Analsoft rays: 15 - 17

Found at continental slopes, around oceanic islands and submarine rises. Migrates to midwater at night. Feeds on fish, cephalopods and crustaceans.

Found at continental slopes, around oceanic islands and submarine rises (Ref. 6181). Meso-benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Migrate to midwater at night (Ref. 6181). Feed on fish, cephalopods and crustaceans (Ref. 6181). Eggs and larvae are pelagic (Ref. 6766).

fisheries: subsistence fisheries; gamefish: yes; bait: usually

廣泛分布於全世界熱帶及溫帶暖水海域。台灣分布於北部、東北部、東部及南部。

一般為底拖網之意外漁獲物，中大型魚，不具經濟價值。一般以下雜魚處理之。

體延長而略側扁，背、腹輪廓略呈弧形，尾柄無稜脊；體長約為體高之6.3-7.0倍。頭中大。吻尖突。口裂大，平直；下頜突出於上頜；上下頜具尖銳之犬齒，具鋤骨齒。側線一條，沿背緣延伸至第IV-V背棘下方急速陡降後直行於體側中部。第一背鰭高，具棘XVII-XIX；第二背鰭硬棘I， 軟條18-20，離鰭2；臀鰭硬棘II，不游離， 軟條15-18，離鰭2；腹鰭退化，具I,0-1；尾鰭深叉。體背暗紫色，腹部淡色；背鰭硬棘部黑色；餘鰭灰黑或淡色，具黑緣。

近海大洋性中底層洄游魚種，一般棲息深度在300-400公尺以上之大陸棚陡坡。獨游性。具有於夜間遷移至中層水域之習性。以甲殼類、頭足類及各種魚類等為食。

Found at continental slopes around oceanic islands and submarine rises. Migrates to midwater at night. Feeds on fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. Reproduces throughout the year in warm waters (Ref. 9784).

Brazil to New England

nektonic

Known from seamounts and knolls