Description

Dorsal spines (total): 30 - 36; Dorsal soft rays (total): 35 - 44; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 28 - 35; Vertebrae: 57 - 64. Body is extremely elongate and compressed. Lower jaw extends anterior to upper jaw with a small conical dermal process. Upper jaw with 3 immovable and 3 or 4 movable fang-like teeth anteriorly. Lateral line situated closer to the ventral profile than the dorsal profile posteriorly. Color is silvery with narrow dark dotted lines along the body; the gill membranes are jet-black.

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Scombriformes

Family: Gempylidae

Genus: Diplospinus

Species: Diplospinus multistriatus Maul, 1948

Climate Zone

Location

• Atlantic, Indian and Pacific: in central water masses. Rather rare, but relatively abundant in the northwest and southeast Atlantic and southeast Pacific Ref. 6181).

Biology

Oceanic, migrating upward at night to 100 to 200 m (Ref. 6181). Probably forming schools during daytime (Ref. 6181). Feed on crustaceans and small fish (Ref. 6181). Females mature at about 16 cm (Ref. 36731). Eggs and larvae are pelagic (Ref. 6766).

Habitat

benthopelagic

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Threat to Humans

Harmless