Benthodesmus tenuis (Günther, 1877)
Slender frostfish
photo by JAMARC

Family:  Trichiuridae (Cutlassfishes), subfamily: Aphanopodinae
Max. size:  230 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; marine; depth range 200 - 850 m
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951), off Cape Hatteras, Gulf of Mexico, Suriname and southern Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: Gulf of Guinea to Angola. Western Indian Ocean: off Natal, South Africa (Ref. 11228). Western Pacific: Emperor Seamounts, Japan, Ryukyu Islands, Viet Nam, and the Sulu Sea. Indian Ocean: south of Java, Indonesia. Reported from British Columbia, Canada (Ref. 11980).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 38-42; Dorsal soft rays (total): 78-89; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 69-76; Vertebrae: 122-132. Body silvery, jaws and opercle blackish. The inside of the mouth and gill cavities black.
Biology:  Mainly found over the continental slope (Ref. 27121). Juveniles mesopelagic (Ref. 6181, 58302).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 21 May 2013 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.