Grammicolepis brachiusculus Poey, 1873
Thorny tinselfish
Grammicolepis brachiusculus
photo by JAMARC

Family:  Grammicolepididae (Grammicolepidids), subfamily: Grammicolepidinae
Max. size:  64 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 300 - 1026 m
Distribution:  Eastern Atlantic: Spain to the Gulf of Guinea and southward to Durban, South Africa. Western Atlantic: Georges Bank to off Suriname. North Pacific: Japan and Hawaii.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 6-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 32-34; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 33-35. Body silvery in color; young with irregular black blotches on body, black spots on caudal fin, and 5 black bars on anal fin (Ref. 4255). Gill rakers rudimentary.
Biology:  Found in deep midwater or near bottom (Ref. 6749); benthopelagic (Ref. 52595). Caught by bottom trawl, bottom lines and drift gill net (Ref. 87951).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 18 April 2012 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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 Not for publication.