Species: Helicolenus dactylopterus, Blackbelly Rosefish

Helicolenus dactylopterus (Delaroche, 1809)

Blackbelly Rosefish

Head very bony, pointed, with low spines; no fleshy tabs or cirri on head; snout short; eye large; ridge under eye with 0-1 spines; no pit on top of head behind eyes; 2nd (below top) preopercular spine the largest; roof of mouth with teeth on sides but not at center; dorsal XII,11.5-12.5; anal III, 5; pectorals square, with upper rays branched in adult, lower rays with tips extending beyond fin membrane; scales rough; lateral line complete, with tubes on scale.

Red above, pinkish white below; dark bars on side – 3 under spiny dorsal, 1 V shaped bar under soft dorsal, one on tail base; bars less obvious in adults; gill chamber and inside mouth purplish black; juveniles with a black blotch on rear dorsal spines.

Reaches 50 cm.

Lives on soft bottoms.

Depth range: 64-1515 m, usually below 200 m in our area.

E and W Atlantic, Mediterranean, and SE Africa; Canada to Argentina.