Halosaurus ovenii

photo by Serrano, A.

Family:	Halosauridae (Halosaurs)
Max. size:	60 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:	bathydemersal; marine; depth range 440 - 1700 m
Distribution:	Eastern Atlantic: Azores and Morocco to South Africa, including western Mediterranean (off Algeria). Western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and off Lesser Antilles.
Diagnosis:	Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9. Body is compressed (Ref. 37108). Pinkish with silvery reflections, darker dorsally (Ref. 3974). Lacks the checkerboard pattern of whitish and brown, produced by concentration of pigment at the margins of the scale pockets (Ref. 37108).
Biology:	The shallowest-occurring halosaur in the Atlantic. May form aggregations. Feeds on polychaetes, sipunculids, crustaceans and fish.
IUCN Red List Status:	Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 05 June 2013 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:	harmless

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