| Family: |
Gempylidae (Snake mackerels) |
| Max. size: |
40 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; marine; depth range 135 - 540 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: off Mozambique, Kenya, Reunion, Saya de Malha Bank, north Australia, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Philippines, Ryukyu Islands, and southern Japan. Reported from Fiji and Tuvalu (Ref. 12596). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 19-20; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-17; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 12-15; Vertebrae: 34-34. Lateral line branching below the 4th to the 5th spine of the first dorsal fin; the upper branch reaching the middle to end of the second dorsal-fin base; the lower branch running mid laterally. Body naked except for a large scaly patch extending around the posterior portion of the lower lateral line. The pelvic fin is represented by a single spine in smaller specimens but is entirely absent in specimens over 18 - 20 cm SL. Body color is grayish with silvery tint; the fins hyaline except for the black blotch on the fin membranes between the first and the third first dorsal spines. |
| Biology: |
Feeds on fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods (Ref. 5213, 9784). Utilized as a food fish food (Ref. 4537). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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