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Micromesistius poutassou  (Risso, 1827)

Blue whiting
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Micromesistius poutassou
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Portugal country information

Common names: Bacalhau, Blue whiting, Pichelim
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: minor commercial | Ref: FAO, 1992
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments:
National Checklist: Portugal
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/po.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Ehrenbaum, E., 1936
National Database: Portuguese Freshwater Fishes

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Gadiformes (Cods) > Gadidae (Cods and haddocks)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Main reference

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 50.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1371); common length : 22.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1371); max. published weight: 830.00 g (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 20 years (Ref. 1371)

Length at first maturity
Lm 15.0  range ? - ? cm

Environment

Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 150 - 3000 m (Ref. 3663), usually 300 - 400 m

Climate / Range

Temperate, preferred 14°C (Ref. 107945); 79°N - 26°N, 82°W - 51°E (Ref. 1371)

Distribution

Northeast Atlantic: Barents Sea south through the eastern Norwegian Sea, around Iceland, then in the western Mediterranean, and south along the African coast to Cape Bojador. Northwest Atlantic: southern Greenland and off southeast Canada and the northeastern coast of the USA.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 24-28; Anal soft rays: 33 - 39. Dorsal fins widely spaced, interspace between second and third fins longer than base length of first dorsal fin. Lateral line continuous over whole body. Color is blue-gray dorsally, grading to white ventrally. Sometimes with a small black blotch at the base of the pectoral fin.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found over the continental slope and shelf to more than 1000 m, but more common at 300-400 m. Feeds mostly on small crustaceans but large individuals also prey on small fish and cephalopods. Makes daily vertical migrations: surface waters at night and near the bottom during the day. Sold fresh and frozen, and also processed as oil and fishmeal (Ref. 1371).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Threat to humans

  Harmless



Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial

Tools

Special reports

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Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD50 = 0.7500 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.1   ±0.3 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.18-0.22; tm=1-5; tmax=20; Fec=6000)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Low to moderate vulnerability (33 of 100)
Price category (Ref. 80766)
Low