Species: Lepidopus altifrons, Crested Scabbardfish
eye large, below head profile

Lepidopus altifrons Parin & Collette, 1993
Crested Scabbardfish
Body elongate and compressed; head length 15.4-16.5 % SL; upper head profile almost straight from tip of snout to dorsal-fin origin; forehead with a pair of crests converging before middle of eyes; longitudinal crest along top of head prominent, from before eyes along nape; lower jaw projecting; lower rear edge of gill cover convex; eyes fairly large, not situated very near head profile; interorbital space strongly convex; tips of both jaws usually with a short skin knob; jaws with front fangs (3 – 6 pairs above, 1 pair below) and smaller side teeth (15-20 above, 15-21 below); a few teeth on each side of roof of mouth; gill rakers 17-18; dorsal fin with VII- X weak spines similar to soft rays, total elements 90-96, no notch between spines & rays; anal fin II (1st rudimentary, 2nd moderate to strong), 52-58; pectorals 12, ~triangular, anterior rays shorter than posterior rays; pelvic fins with I small scale-like spine, 1-2 tiny soft rays, inserted ½ eye diameter behind end of pectoral-fin; small forked tail fin present; lateral line slowly descends from above gill opening to mid-side.
Silvery to brown, darker along lateral line; inside gill chamber black.
Reaches 68 cm
Benthopelagic
Depth range 100-508 m.
Nova Scotia to Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Offshore
- Offshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom + water column
- Mid Water
- Near Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bentho-Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Pelagic crustacea
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent only
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends North of GC
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 68
- Depth Range Min
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- 100
- Depth Range Max
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- 508