Species: Benthodesmus simonyi, North Atlantic Frostfish, North Atlantic Frostfish Scabbardfish, Simony's Frostfish

Benthodesmus simonyi (Steindachner, 1891)

North Atlantic Frostfish, Simony's Frostfish, North Atlantic Frostfish Scabbardfish

Body extremely elongate and compressed, depth 3.7-4.7% SL; upper head profile rises smoothly from tip of snout to origin of dorsal fin; nape without a central, longitudinal crest; lower rear edge of gill cover convex; lower jaw projecting; tips of both jaws with a short skin knob in large fish; jaws with front fangs and slightly compressed side teeth; roof of mouth with 1 row of teeth on each side, none in center; gill rakers on first arch spiny; dorsal fin with long base, XLIV – XLVI, 104-109 (total elements 148-155), partially divided by a shallow notch, base of spinous part about ½ length of base of soft part; anal fin II (close-set, 1st rudimentary, not visible in adults, 2nd comb-like, delicate, well forwards of rest of fin), 93 – 102, rays developed only on rear 1/3 of fin; pectorals 12; pelvic fins minute, with a scale-like spine & a rudimentary soft ray, inserted behind pectoral base; tail fin small, forked.

Silvery; jaws, operculum, and inside mouth and gill chamber black.

Reaches 133 cm

Benthopelagic

Depth range 200-900 m.

Atlantic; Newfoundland to Argentina.