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Species: Hyperoglyphe bythites, Black driftfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

body depth 30-35% SL
snout ~ eye
D VII-VIII, 22-25; spines short, stout, same length
D origin over/behind pectoral base
LL ~87
preopercle - many small spines
dark grey

Hyperoglyphe bythites (Ginsburg, 1954)

Black driftfish

Body moderately elongate (depth 30-35% of SL), compressed; head covered with pores; blunt, thick snout, its length about = eye; eye large, without fleshy eyelid; bony ring around eye not well developed, iris is an entire golden ring; mouth large; most of top jaw hidden under bone above it; roof of mouth toothless; preopercle edge with numerous tiny spines; opercle thin, with 2 weak flat spines; gill rakers heavy, finely toothed on front surface, 6-7 + 15-16; one continuous, long-based, low dorsal fin, VII-VIII short stout spines of uniform length, 22-25 soft rays, origin over or a little behind pectoral base; anal origin under rear 1/2 of dorsal, III, 16-17; pelvic fins origin under base of pectoral, fin attached to body by membrane and folds into a groove; tail fin forked; pectorals 20-21, rounded in young, pointed in adult; scales smooth, somewhat loose, covering bases of median fins; skin thin, with an extensive canal system underneath that opens to surface via small pores; lateral line arched, straightens out over anal fin; ~87 lateral line scales.

Adults dark grey; fins darker; young brown to red-brown, with dark blotches.

Reaches about 60 cm.

Adults near-bottom pelagic; young associate with flotsam.

Depth range: 0-200 m; adults below 30 m.

The Gulf of Mexico; possibly also Brazil.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Offshore Only
  • Offshore
Water Column Position
  • Mid Water
  • Water column only
  • Near Bottom
  • Surface
  • Near Surface
Habitat
  • Water column
  • Flotsam
FishBase Habitat
  • Pelagic
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Planktivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Bony fishes
  • Pelagic jellyfish/ctenophores
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Data
  • Zooplankton
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species.
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • GC endemic
  • Gulf of Mexico endemic
  • Continent only
  • All species..
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 60
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 200