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Species: Schedophilus pemarco, Pemarco Blackfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

body depth 45-55% SL
D 23-26: A 16-19
blue-grey/brown, black on fins
juv striped
preopercle 12-19 prominent spines
D: V- VII (weak, longest last), origin before pectoral base
bases D & A fleshy, tanslucent

Schedophilus pemarco (Poll, 1959)

Pemarco Blackfish

Body a moderately deep (depth ~45-55% SL) oval, compressed, musculature firm; head broad, deep; blunt, thick snout; head covered with pores; eye 21-29% head length, with a poorly developed fatty ring around; mouth large, most of top jaw hidden under bone above it; roof of mouth toothless; jaws with 1 row of small conical teeth; gill rakers 5-7+1+15-16; opercle thin, with 2 flat spines; preopercle with 12-19 distinct spines; one continuous, long-based, low dorsal fin, V-VII weak but readily distinguishable spines gradually increase in size to rear, origin over/before pectoral base, 23-26 rays; anal fin origin under rear ½ of dorsal fin, III short, weak spines, 16-18 rays; bases of dorsal & anal fins fleshy, translucent; pectoral fins 19-22, rounded, reach to about 3rd anal spine; pelvic fins a little smaller than pectorals, inserted under front of base of pectoral, connected to belly by membrane, can fold into groove on belly; tail forked; scales small, ~95 on lateral line, smooth, easily shed, covering bases of dorsal and anal; lateral line arched, straightens out over anal fin.

Dark blue-grey to brownish; fins darker than body; dorsal and anal fin rays black; pelvics, pectorals and end of tail black; inside operculum black; eye bluish; juveniles with horizontal dark stripes on body; only tips of pectorals black

Size: 50 cm.

Habitat: near-bottom in deep water.

Depth: 50-500 m.

North Atlantic; strays to SE Florida, the Sargasso Sea & SE Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Offshore
  • Offshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom + water column
  • Mid Water
  • Near Bottom
Habitat
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Water column
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Bentho-Pelagic
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
  • Planktivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Zooplankton
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Pelagic jellyfish/ctenophores
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Extends North of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Insular primarily
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Vagrant
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
  • 50
Depth Range Min
  • 50
Depth Range Max
  • 500