Alfonsino

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Alfonsino

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Beryciformes
Family: Berycidae
Genus: Beryx
Species:
B. decadactylus
Binomial name
Beryx decadactylus
(G. Cuvier, 1829)[2]

The alfonsino (Beryx decadactylus), also known as the alfonsin, longfinned beryx, red bream, or imperador, is a

demersal and search for prey along the ocean floor, primarily fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. Like other members of its family, it is remarkably long-lived, with individuals reaching ages of up to 69 years, and possibly longer. It can reach sizes of up to 1 m (3.3 ft) in length and 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) in weight and is targeted by commercial fisheries. Its low reproductive rate and the time it takes for juveniles to mature make it vulnerable to expanding deep-sea fisheries, but it is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) due to its extensive range.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

1880 drawing of the alfonsino

The first

Histoire Naturelle des Poissons,[3] who gave it the name Beryx dodecadactylus. It was renamed B. decadactylus by ichthyologist G. E. Maul in 1990. The etymology of its generic name is unclear, but it likely comes from the Greek name for a fish, but which species it was originally used for remains unknown. It is possible that Beryx originally described a species of parrotfish, or did not describe a fish at all.[4]

Description

The alfonsino has large eyes and a deep, compressed body, 1.9–2.5 times its

caudal fin is deeply forked.[3] Its bright red color is a common adaptation to deepwater surroundings, where red is filtered out of the light spectrum.[6] Although the most common size is 35.0 cm (13.8 in), it can reach lengths of up to 100.0 cm (39.4 in) TL. The maximum published weight for an alfonsino is 2.5 kg (5.5 lb). Juveniles have heavy head spines, while adults do not.[4]

Distribution and habitat

The alfonsino is found worldwide in

48°S. It is found from as far north as Greenland and Iceland south to Brazil in the western Atlantic and South Africa in the eastern Atlantic. In the Indo-Pacific it is found from South Africa east to Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. It has also been reported off the coasts of Argentina and Hawaii. It is likely more common in the western Pacific than records indicate due to lack of fishing in its depth range in the region.[4]

With an extensive depth range 110–1,000 m (360–3,280 ft)

La Reunion Island, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Korea, Japan, New Guinea, the Ryukyu Islands, and Hawaii.[1]

Biology and ecology

Alfonsinos hunt for prey along the ocean floor.[7]

The

migrate vertically into shallower waters.[1] Their primary food sources are crustaceans, cephalopods, and small fish, with the last being the most abundant prey in its diet. In this it is quite dissimilar from the splendid alfonsino, which appears to have a slower digestion and wider dietary breadth.[8]

Spawning occurs in the summer months, June through September, though males can reproduce year-round.

demersal habitat where they will live as adults.[7] After 4 years, they reach sexual maturity, at which point they will be about 30 cm (12 in) in size, with females being slightly larger on average than males.[7] Individuals grow slowly, as is common among members of Berycidae.[10] Although their maximum age is unknown, individuals have been caught at 69 years old.[1] Their actual maximum age is unknown, however, with estimates ranging as high as 85 years.[7]

Human interaction

Alfonsinos for sale

Alfonsinos are economically important fish, targeted by commercial fisheries, including seamount fisheries, that employ deep-water trawling and longline fishing methods to catch them. It is of import to fisheries in Spain and Mauritania in the eastern Atlantic, the southeastern United States in the western Atlantic, and Japan, La Reunion Island, and the Canary Islands in the Indo-Pacific. It is also captured as bycatch of fisheries targeting the splendid alfonsino, though capture data likely does not distinguish between the two. This has led to concerns that stocks may be more depleted than previously thought.[1] Of all Beryx species, the splendid alfonsino is the most commonly caught, but B. decadactylus makes up 95% of all Beryx catches off the southeastern United States.[7]

Despite being widespread throughout its range, the alfonsino is an uncommon fish in many areas, likely due to exploitation by commercial fisheries and depletion due to bycatch. It is listed as

Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because its extensive distribution protects it from danger of extinction and in parts of its range it is not a targeted species. It could also be threatened by habitat loss due to deep-water trawling causing damage to deep-sea corals.[1]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T198578A21910085.en
    . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Beryx decadactylus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 24 January 2006.
  3. ^ a b Gomon, Martin F.; Dianne J. Bray. "Beryx decadactylus". Fishes of Australia. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Beryx decadactylus". FishBase. January 2017 version.
  5. ISBN 92-5-104301-9.[permanent dead link
    ‍]
  6. ISBN 9780192806819
    .
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Friess, Claudia; George R. Sedberry (2011). "Age, growth, and spawning season of red bream (Beryx decadactylus) off the southeastern United States" (PDF). Fishery Bulletin (109): 20–33.
  8. doi:10.1016/s0165-7836(01)00269-7
    .
  9. ^ Mundy, Bruce C. (1990). "Development of Larvae and Juveniles of the Alfonsins, Beryx splendens and B. Decadactylus (Berycidae, Beryciformes)". Bulletin of Marine Science. 46 (2): 257–273.
  10. ^ Krug, Helena; Dalila Carvalho; Jose A. Gonzalez (2011). "Age and growth of the alfonsino Beryx decadactylus (Cuvier, 1829) from the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands, based on historical data" (PDF). Life and Marine Sciences (28): 25–31.
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