Fish
Blackbelly rosefish
Helicolenus dactylopterus
Hors saison
—
Zones de pêche
Wild
Origine
15 cm
Taille minimale
Description
The body is robust and spindle-shaped. It is typically orange-pink or reddish in color, sometimes marked with dark, diffuse transverse bands. The inside of its mouth is bluish-black, which gives it its English name, "Blue-mouth." It has 12 venomous spines and 12 to 13 soft rays on its dorsal fin, and 3 spines and 5 soft rays on its anal fin. It typically measures about 25 cm, but can reach a maximum size of 50 cm. It is an opportunistic predator that feeds on benthic and pelagic organisms, including crustaceans, small fish, cephalopods, and echinoderms.
Habitat
A marine species, bathydemersal (living on or near the seafloor in deep waters). It is generally found between 150 and 600 meters, but can descend to depths of up to 1,100 meters. It favors soft seabeds (mud and sand) on the continental shelf and upper slope. It prefers cold to temperate waters (between 4°C and 18°C).
Distribution
It is widely distributed throughout the Atlantic Ocean, from Iceland and Norway to the Gulf of Guinea, including the Mediterranean Sea, the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. It is also found from Namibia to South Africa and from Nova Scotia (Canada) to Venezuela.