Bathygadus melanobranchus Vaillant, 1888
Vaillant's grenadier
Bathygadus melanobranchus
photo by JAMARC

Family:  Bathygadidae (Rattails)
Max. size:  50 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 400 - 2600 m, non-migratory
Distribution:  Atlantic Ocean: Eastern Atlantic: Ireland to South Africa. Western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, off Suriname (Ref. 3587). Often confused with Bathygadus favosus Goode & Bean, 1886.
Diagnosis:  This species does not have light organs. The head is large; eyes are large, about equal in diameter to the interorbital space. The snout is blunt with the lower jaw slightly projecting. The body tapers quite abruptly from behind the pectoral fin. Body color is light brown. The fin membranes, branchiostegal membrane, gill chamber and body cavity color is black. Also Ref. 2800.
Biology:  Feeds on mysids, pelagic copepods, chaetognaths and small shrimps (Ref. 3587). Minimum depth reported from Ref. 1371.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 10 July 2012 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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