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Polyprion americanus  (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Wreckfish
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2100
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Polyprion americanus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Polyprion americanus (Wreckfish)
Polyprion americanus
Picture by Cambraia Duarte, P.M.N. (c)ImagDOP


South Africa country information

Common names: Wrakvis, Wreckfish
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Also Ref. 4517.
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Heemstra, P.C., 1986
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Polyprionidae (Wreckfishes)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Main reference

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 210 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7251); common length : 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3397); max. published weight: 100.0 kg (Ref. 35388)

Length at first maturity
Lm 77.9  range ? - 90 cm

Environment

Marine; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 40 - 600 m (Ref. 7251), usually 100 - 200 m (Ref. 36731)

Climate / Range

Deep-water, preferred 17°C (Ref. 107945); 70°N - 55°S, 82°W - 179°E

Distribution

Eastern Atlantic: Norway to South Africa (Ref. 6633), including the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Madeira, Cape Verde, and Tristan da Cunha. Western Atlantic: Newfoundland, Canada and Gulf of Maine to North Carolina, USA (Ref. 7251). Recorded from Uruguay to Argentina (Ref. 9050). Western Indian Ocean: St. Paul and Amsterdam islands (Ref. 6633). Southwest Pacific: New Zealand (Ref. 5755, 9072).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10. Bluish grey above, paler below with a silvery sheen; fins blackish brown (Ref. 6633). Juveniles have black blotches on head and body (Ref. 6633). Body tall, compressed. Big mouth with big head and a rough bony ridge across upper part of the gill cover (Ref. 35388).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Adults prefer to inhabit caves and shipwrecks (Ref. 27121). Juveniles congregate below floating objects (Ref. 27121). Usually solitary. Feed on large crustaceans, cephalopods and benthic fishes (Ref. 27121). Spawn in the summer (Ref. 35388). Are primary gonochorists (Ref. 58421). Marketed fresh or frozen; eaten steamed, fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988). Minimum depth reported from Ref. 6633.

Threat to humans

  Harmless



Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes

More information

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance
References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

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Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD50 = 0.8125 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.1   ±0.64 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.05-0.08; tmax=76; tm=9-10 yrs estimated from VBGF; Fec=3 million)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
High to very high vulnerability (72 of 100)
Price category (Ref. 80766)
Low