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Deepbody boarfish (Antigonia capros) — Caproidae

Deepbody boarfish

Antigonia capros
Family: Caproidae
LC · Least Concern

The Deepbody boarfish (Antigonia capros) is a saltwater fish of the family Caproidae that grows up to 31 cm.

Length
30.5 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
50.0–900.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The deepbody boarfish is a bright-red, strikingly deep and diamond-shaped deep-water fish of the family Caproidae (boarfishes) reaching about 30 cm. The strongly compressed body is almost as deep as it is long and bears a small, protrusible mouth. The red colour is virtually invisible at depth. The species lives near rocky bottoms, slopes and seamounts of the deeper continental shelf of the Atlantic and adjacent oceans, also around the Macaronesian islands. With its small mouth it picks zooplankton and small bottom invertebrates. Because of its deep lifestyle and lean body it has little commercial importance, though it comes up as bycatch.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Deepbody boarfish?

The Deepbody boarfish has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly red-orange and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Deepbody boarfish live?

The Deepbody boarfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Deepbody boarfish get?

The Deepbody boarfish grows to a maximum of about 31 cm. On average the species is around 15 cm.

Is the Deepbody boarfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Deepbody boarfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Deepbody boarfish edible?

The Deepbody boarfish is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Hoge everzwijnvis inferred
English name
Deepbody boarfish verified
Scientific name
Antigonia capros
Family
Caproidae
Other names
Boarfish; Deep-bodied boarfish; Deepbody boarfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30.5 verified
Average length (cm)
15.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped verified
Dominant colour
Red / orange sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater verified
Substrate
Stone or rock verified
Min depth (m)
50.0 verified
Max depth (m)
900.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore verified
Social behaviour
Small groups verified
Territorial
No verified
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes verified
Sexual dimorphism
No verified

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten verified
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Antigonia

More from the family Caproidae

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