Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, VII-VIII+13; A, III+11; P, 13-15; LL, 23-31; GR, 4-6+13-15  drawing : Tuvia Kurz

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body oval, compressed, with a large head (about 1/3 of body length). Mouth opening nearly vertical, with a protruding supramaxillary bone. Teeth small in bands on both jaws, palatine and vomer. Osseous crests radiate around the eyes and run on the top of head and on the opercular bones, forming several spines; they also delimit mucous cavities, covered by the skin. Ventral fins position, under the pectorals. Anal fin about half of dorsal fin length. Space between the pelvic and anal fins is covered by a row of scutes, in the form of a saw. color : head red; back brownish red; sides rosy to silvery. Mouth and gill cavity black except for palate which is red. size : common 60 cm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Hoplostethus spp.: 4-7 spines in dorsal fin. Holocentridae, Bercidae and Caproidae: no ridge of scutes along the abdomen.   BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY In general, fish of this family feed on small fish and shrimps found on the bottom or in the water column. habitat : near the bottom, at depths ranging from about 100 to 500 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Off Algiers, 1963. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : a deep-water species of wide distribution (Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Australia, etc.). Mediterranean : only a specimen found on the La Pérouse Bank, Algiers (Dieuzeide, 1963a). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via Gibraltar. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Dieuzeide R., 1963a. Sur la présence en Méditerranée de Gephyroberyx darwini (Johnson). Recueil des travaux de la Station marine d'Endoume, 28 (43): 113-116. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: April 2002 ©ciesm 2002