Halargyreus johnsonii Günther, 1862
Slender codling
Halargyreus johnsonii
photo by Armesto, A.

Family:  Moridae (Morid cods)
Max. size:  56 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathypelagic; marine; depth range 450 - 3000 m
Distribution:  Spotty records from the subarctic and subantarctic to temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean. South Atlantic: along the coast of Africa, on Walvis Ridge, near Discovery and Meteor seamounts and on the continental slope of Antarctica (Ref. 44938). Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951). North Pacific: northwestern Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean south of the Gulf of Alaska to California and to Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 58-67; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 42-53; Vertebrae: 52-55. Eye large, its diameter about equal to snout length. Lower jaw slightly projecting; chin barbel absent. Elongate filament in first dorsal fin absent. Anal fin originating at about the midlength of body, deeply indented; pectoral fins not reaching to anal fin origin. Outer 2 pelvic rays elongate. Anterior gill rakers of 1st arch longer than gill filaments. Ventral light organ absent. Color is generally pale, silvery in fresh specimen; urobranchial cavity black (Refs. 1371, 43939).
Biology:  Epibenthic (Ref. 58426). Food consists of free-living small animals, such as crustaceans and squids. This species is reportedly being caught by trawl in temperate waters of Australia (Ref. 9563).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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