Common names from other countries
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Beryciformes (Sawbellies) >
Melamphaidae (Bigscale fishes or ridgeheads)
Etymology: Melamphaes: Greek, melan, -anos = black + Greek, amphi = both side (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 150 - 350 m (Ref. 51657). Deep-water; 11°N - 4°S (Ref. 87970)
Eastern Atlantic: tropical, mostly equatorial.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 87970)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 15; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 8; Vertebrae: 27. The species is characterized by the following: gill rakers of first gill arch 21; vertebrae 27 (11 abdominal vertebrae); haemal arch of the first caudal vertebra without spur; D III,14-15; P 15; soft rays in ventral fin 7; ventral fin starts after the vertical line of the posterior margin of the pectoral fin basement; anal fin starts under the vertical line of the 3-4 ray of the dorsal fin (posterior end); operculum with 4 scales (Ref. 87970).
Adults found at depths of 15 - 300 meters (Ref. 51657). Specimens captured by bottom trawling at 1550 m depth; reported night catches of juveniles at 150-300 m depth and more (Ref. 87970).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Kotlyar, A.N., 2011. Revision of genus Melamphaes (Melamphaidae). II. Multi-raker species: M. polylepis, M. falsidicus sp. nova, M. pachystomus sp. nova, M. macrocephalus, M. leprus. J. Ichthyol. 51(8):658-661. (Ref. 87970)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
CITES (Ref. 128078)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
115969): 13.3 - 14.1, mean 14 (based on 7 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01096 (0.00451 - 0.02668), b=3.10 (2.89 - 3.31), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.7 ±0.2 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).