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Alepocephaliformes (Slickheads and tubeshoulders.) >
Alepocephalidae (Slickheads)
Etymology: Talismania: Persian, tilism and taken after Greek, telesma, teleo = to make a sacrifice, and after, talisman.
More on authors: Goode & Bean.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 455 - 1460 m (Ref. 4460). Deep-water; 49°N - 35°S, 180°W - 180°E (Ref. 57335)
Circumglobal, tropical and subtropical. Western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Eastern Atlantic: Morocco south to Angola. Northwest Pacific: Ryukyu Trough (Ref. 559). Southeast Pacific: Chile (Ref. 9068).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 16.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4460)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 20 - 22; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 20 - 22. Dorsal and anal fins nearly opposite each other. Lower margin of maxillary serrated, each serration with a thin triangular tooth at the tip. Prevomerine teeth deciduous. Orbit large, its diameter longer than the snout. Pectoral rays not filamentous. Attains 15 cm SL.
Body shape (shape guide): elongated; Cross section: compressed.
Mesopelagic (Ref. 75154).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Markle, D.F. and J.-C. Quéro, 1984. Alepocephalidae (including Bathylaconidae, Bathyprionidae). p. 228-253. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1. (Ref. 4736)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 4.6 - 10.4, mean 6.9 °C (based on 456 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5005 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00347 (0.00163 - 0.00737), b=3.19 (3.00 - 3.38), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tmax>3).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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