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Species: Hyperoglyphe perciformis, Barrelfish driftfish, the Barrelfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

body depth 30-35% SL
snout > eye
D VIII-IX, 19-21; spines short, stout, same length
D origin over/behind pectoral base
LL 89-95
preopercle - many small spines
greenish/brownish

Hyperoglyphe perciformis (Mitchill, 1818)

Barrelfish

Body moderately elongate (depth 30-35% of SL), compressed; head covered with pores; blunt, thick snout, its length > 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, 7+1 + 15-17; one continuous, long-based, low dorsal fin, VIII-IX short stout spines of uniform length, 19-21 soft rays, origin over or a little behind pectoral base; anal origin under rear 1/2 of dorsal, III, 15-17; pelvic fins origin under base of pectoral, fin attached to body by membrane and folds into a groove; tail fin forked; pectorals 20-22, 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; 89-95 lateral line scales.

Adults dark, greenish to brownish; young blackish, with mottling.

Reaches 91 cm.

Near bottom pelagic; young associate with flotsam.

Depth range: 0-241 m, adults below 60 m.

Nova Scotia to the Gulf of Mexico; strays to the eastern Atlantic.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Offshore
  • Offshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Near Bottom
  • Surface
  • Near Surface
  • Water column only
  • Mid Water
Habitat
  • Flotsam
  • Water column
FishBase Habitat
  • Pelagic
Feeding Group
  • Planktivore
  • Data
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Zooplankton
  • Pelagic jellyfish/ctenophores
  • Bony fishes
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • Data
  • Pelagic
Global Endemism
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • Island (s)
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • GC non-endemic
  • Continent
  • All species..
  • Extends North of GC
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Temperate (>35N)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 91
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 241