| Family: |
Melamphaidae (Bigscale fishes or ridgeheads) |
| Max. size: |
9.6 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathypelagic; marine; depth range 300 - 2516 m |
| Distribution: |
Antitropical. South Atlantic: between 27°S and 46°S (off southwest tip of Africa); southern Indian Ocean, western south Pacific off New Zealand, eastern south Pacific (Ref. 51657). The holotype was caught in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean east of the Kara Dag Seamount. Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951). North Atlantic (between 30°N and 60°N) specimens are probable variants of M. falsidicus (Ref. 87970). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 3-3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17-18; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Head with sharp angle. Gill rakers are widely compressed, closely packed and with spaces (Ref. 37108). |
| Biology: |
Rare species. May be a species complex (J.A. Moore, pers. Comm.). Trawled below 300 m off South Africa and New Zealand (Ref. 4241). Maximum depth from Ref. 58018. |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 October 2018 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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