Animalia Life

Erilepis zonifer
FAMILY
Anoplopomatidae
TAXONOMY
Erilepis zonifer Lockington, 1880, Monterey, California, United States. This species is sometimes placed alone in the
FAMILY
Erilepidae in the suborder Anoplopomatoidei, but the more accepted classification puts them together with sablefishes in the Anoplopomatidae and within the Hexagrammoidei.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
None known.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The largest of the greenlings and sculpins, skilfishes resemble a heavier version of a sablefish with mottled blue of dark and light shades. Older fishes reach 70 in (178 cm) length and 200 lb (91 kg) weight.
DISTRIBUTION
Deep water of the North Pacific from Monterey Bay, California, to central Honshu Island, Japan and north to the Gulf of Alaska and Kamchatka.
HABITAT
Young are sometimes caught in offshore, surface waters. Adults are typically caught in deeper water.
BEHAVIOR
Not known.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Not known.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Not known.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN. Little is known of the
BEHAVIOR
, food habits, or reproduction of this species. It is not the subject of directed fisheries, so there is little basis for determining whether incidental bycatch in other high seas fisheries might have detrimental impact upon the abundance of the skilfish.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

Other popular Animals