Tetragonurus cuvieri Risso, 1810
Smalleye squaretail
Tetragonurus cuvieri
photo by Cruscanti, M.

Family:  Tetragonuridae (Squaretails)
Max. size:  70 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 1 - 800 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Eastern Pacific: Aleutian Islands, Alaska to Baja California, Mexico; Chile (Ref. 9068). Western Pacific: Japan (Ref. 559), New Zealand and Australia (Ref. 6885). Western Indian Ocean: Natal, South Africa (Ref. 4415). Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean (Ref. 4415).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 15-21; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-15; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 11-13; Vertebrae: 52. Pectorals and pelvic fins small (Ref. 6885). Dark brown, paler at base of tail and on head, otherwise almost uniform throughout (Ref. 6885).
Biology:  Oceanic, usually near surface; possibly near bottom. Perhaps occurs in schools. Young usually among jellyfishes or inside large salps. Feeds on jellyfishes and salps (Ref. 2850), also other soft-bodied coelenterates, ctenophores, as well as plankton. There are conflicting reports that the flesh of this species is poisonous (Ref. 11149).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 19 May 2013 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  reports of ciguatera poisoning


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