Species: Schedophilus pemarco, Pemarco Blackfish
juv striped

D: V- VII (weak, longest last), origin before pectoral base
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.

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
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bentho-Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Planktivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Zooplankton
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Pelagic jellyfish/ctenophores
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- Extends North of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Insular primarily
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Vagrant
- 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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- 50
- Depth Range Min
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- 50
- Depth Range Max
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- 500