Species: Polymixia lowei, Beardfish beardfish, the beardfish
Polymixia lowei Gunther, 1859
Beardfish
Body elongate (depth <36% of SL), compressed, oval in cross-section; eye large; snout rounded and prominent; mouth ~horizontal, lower jaw shorter, extends past rear of eye, with 2 extra bones above expanded main rear bone; teeth minute, in bands, on tongue as well as jaws and on center, sides and rear of roof of mouth; 7 rays (1st 3 minute, only last 4 visible) on membrane under gill cover; a pair of long barbells under lower jaws, well behind chin; 14-22 gill rakers; dorsal and anal fin with spines; 1 dorsal fin, long base IV-VI, 26-32; anal fin III-IV, 15-18; pelvics origin behind pectorals; tail fin forked, with spines on upper and lower base; scales spiny, moderately large, 31-37 with lateral line pores.
Body and head bluish to greenish silver, brown along top of body; barbells and sides silver white; dark front tips of dorsal and anal fins, dark rear tips of tail fin.
Reaches 25 cm.
Bottom living on soft-bottoms.
Depth range: 50-940 m, usually below 150 m.
Maine to Brazil.
Note: The population off the southwest Caribbean is a separate species, while the status of the population of the rest of Caribbean and Brazil relative to that in the Gulf of Mexico and E USA is not known.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Mud
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bathydemersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Bony fishes
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends N + S of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Also in Brazil
- Island (s)
- Extends North of GC
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends South of GC
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Temperate (>35N)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 25
- Depth Range Min
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- 50
- Depth Range Max
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- 940
