Species: Hyperoglyphe bythites, Black driftfish

snout ~ eye
D origin over/behind pectoral base

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.

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