Psenes maculatus Lütken, 1880
Silver driftfish
Psenes maculatus
photo by Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada

Family:  Nomeidae (Driftfishes)
Max. size:  30 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic-oceanic; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 1281 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Atlantic Ocean: Canada (Ref. 5951) to New Jersey, USA to northern South America (Ref. 7251); reported from southern Africa. Also Indian and Pacific oceans.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 10-12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 22-24; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 21-23; Vertebrae: 34-38. Brown with darker brown vertical bands (Ref. 4412).
Biology:  Epipelagic or mesopelagic in oceanic temperate waters. Rarely seen (Ref. 6891). Juveniles swim among tentacles of jellies (Ref. 48637).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 12 October 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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