Species: Polymixia nobilis, Stout beardfish
Polymixia nobilis Lowe, 1836
Stout beardfish
Body elongate (depth 36-40% 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; 10-13 gill rakers; dorsal and anal fin with spines; 1 dorsal fin, long base IV-VI, 34-38; 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; sides silver; dark to black front tips of dorsal and anal fins and rear tips of tail fin.
Reaches 54 cm.
Bottom living on soft-bottoms.
Depth range: 70-800 m.
E and W Atlantic; Bermuda to Guyana.
Note: the population off Bermuda (and rest of the W Atlantic?) is a separate species from that in the E Atlantic.
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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- Rocks
- Mud
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef and soft bottom
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bathydemersal
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
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- All species..
- GC non-endemic
- Continent
- Also in Brazil
- Extends South of GC
- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 54
- Depth Range Min
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- 70
- Depth Range Max
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- 800
