Family : Trichiuridae (Cutlassfishes) , subfamily: Lepidopinae
Order : Perciformes  (perch-likes)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Silver scabbardfish
Fish Name : Lepidopus caudatus
Max size : 210 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 36731); max. published weight: 8,000 g (Ref. 6181)
Environment : benthopelagic; oceanodromous ; depth range 42 - 620 m
Climate : deep-water; 64°N - 49°S
Global Importance : fisheries: highly commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.3; tmax=7)Distribution : Eastern Atlantic: France and western Mediterranean to Senegal, including Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and offshore seamounts; Cape Fria, Namibia to Agulhas Bank, South Africa including northern Walvis Ridge. Southern Indian Ocean: seamounts 30 to 35°S. Southwest Pacific: Australia (New South Wales to southern West Australia) and New Zealand. Southeast Pacific: Peru. A doubtful record from Cape San Lucas, Mexico.
Diagnosis : Dorsal soft rays (total): 98-110; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 59-66; Vertebrae: 105-114. Second anal-fin spine plate-like. Pyloric caeca 20 - 29. Body uniformly silvery (Ref. 6181). Pelvic fin very small (Ref. 35388).
Biology : Occur on continental shelf, along its edge and upper slope down to 400 m (600 m in Australia), usually over sandy and muddy bottoms from 100 to 250 m (over 300 m in Australia). Depth range from 333-620 m in the eastern Ionian Sea (Ref. 56504). Migrate into midwater at night. Form schools; occasionally found inshore in upwelling of deep water when it appears at surface. Feed on crustaceans, small squid and fish (Ref. 6768). Eggs and larvae are pelagic (Ref. 6768)
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : harmless
Coordinator : Parin, Nikolay V.
Main Ref : Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin. 1993. (Ref. 6181)

India country information
Common Names : [ No common name ]
Status : questionable
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses