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Pemarco blackfish (Schedophilus pemarco) — Centrolophidae

Pemarco blackfish

Schedophilus pemarco

The Pemarco blackfish (Schedophilus pemarco) is a saltwater fish of the family Centrolophidae that grows up to 50 cm.

Length
50 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
50.0–500.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The Pemarco blackfish is a dark, oval open-water fish of the family Centrolophidae (medusafishes) reaching about 50 cm. The sturdy, brown-grey body has a blunt head and a continuous dorsal fin. Like other medusafishes, young fish live in open water near drifting jellyfish, salps and weeds, where they find shelter and feed on plankton and the jellyfish themselves; adults move to deeper water above the continental shelf and slope along the West African coast. There it eats jellyfish, salps, zooplankton and small fish. Because of its open- and deeper-water lifestyle it is seen only irregularly and has little targeted fishery value.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Pemarco blackfish?

The Pemarco blackfish has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Pemarco blackfish live?

The Pemarco blackfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Pemarco blackfish get?

The Pemarco blackfish grows to a maximum of about 50 cm. On average the species is around 30 cm.

Is the Pemarco blackfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Pemarco blackfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Pemarco blackfish edible?

The Pemarco blackfish is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Pemarco-medusavis inferred
English name
Pemarco blackfish verified
Scientific name
Schedophilus pemarco
Family
Centrolophidae
Other names
Pemarco blackfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
50.0 verified
Average length (cm)
30.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater verified
Substrate
Open water verified
Min depth (m)
50.0 verified
Max depth (m)
500.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten verified
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. 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 Schedophilus

More from the family Centrolophidae

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