Species: Nesiarchus nasutus, Black Gemfish
tip both jaws: conical skin knob
Nesiarchus nasutus Johnson, 1862
Black Gemfish
Body fairly elongate, slender, compressed, depth 8-10% SL; head ~23% SL; operculum with 2 flat spines; lower jaw strong projecting; a large conical skin knob at tip of both jaws; top jaws with 0-3 pairs of fangs at front, lower jaws I pair; dorsal fin low, XIX-XXI (long-based) + II, 19-24 (short based); anal fin a little shorter than 2nd dorsal, II, 18-21; dorsal and anal fins with 2 finlets behind each in adults; pectorals short, 12-14; pelvics tiny, shorter than pectorals, I, 5: tail base without keel; lateral line single, slopes down gradually to mid-side; skin smooth, scales small, no tubercles, no belly keel.
Head and body dark brown, with violet tint; fins black.
Reaches 145 cm.
Benthopelagic
Depth: 200-1459 m; migrate to midwater at night.
Worldwide in temperate to tropical seas, Bermuda to northern Brazil.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- In & Offshore
- Inshore
- Offshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom + water column
- Mid Water
- Near Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Water column
- Reef and soft bottom
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Bentho-Pelagic
- Feeding Group
-
- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Pelagic crustacea
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends North of GC
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 145
- Depth Range Min
-
- 200
- Depth Range Max
-
- 1459
