''Hyperoglyphe antarctica'', the Antarctic butterfish, bluenose warehou, deepsea trevally, blue eye trevalla, blue-eye cod, bluenose sea bass, or deep sea trevalla, is a

medusafish Medusafishes are a family, Centrolophidae, of percomorph fishes. The family includes about 31 species. They are found in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world. Young '' Icichthys lockingtoni'' specimens are abundant in the coastal ...

of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

'' Centrolophidae'' found in all the southern oceans, at depths of between 40 and 1,500 m. Its length is up to about 140 cm, with a maximum published weight of 60 kg. Antarctic butterfish have a dark blue body above and lighter blue below with large eyes (another name for this fish is big eye). Larger individuals have a bronze sheen along the flanks. They can grow to 1.4 m in length and over 50 kg in weight. Studies have shown that fish between 62 and 72 cm are

mature Mature is the adjectival form of maturity, as immature is the adjectival form of immaturity, which have several meanings. Mature or immature may also refer to: * Mature, a character from ''The King of Fighters'' series *"Mature 17+", a rating in ...

and range in age between 8–12 years respectively. Mature females can produce between 2 million and 11 million

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

prior to

spawning Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, and the act of both sexes is called spawning. Most aquatic animals, except for aquati ...

. Blue eye mainly feed on the

tunicate A tunicate is a marine invertebrate animal, a member of the subphylum Tunicata (). It is part of the Chordata, a phylum which includes all animals with dorsal nerve cords and notochords (including vertebrates). The subphylum was at one time ca ...

''Pyrosoma atlantica''. However, they will feed on a range of fish,

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

and

crustacean Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group ...

s, and are also

cannibal Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, bo ...

istic.

Reproduction and distribution

This species is present in five distinct areas: Argentina, South Africa, southern Australia, Saint-Paul & Amsterdam French Austral Islands and New Zealand. Spawning appears to occur in an area north east of

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

during March and April. Little is known about the egg and

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

l stages of blue eye. Recently Antarctic butterfish of approximately 10 cm have been found living in association with large masses of floating

kelp Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms. Kelp grows in "underwat ...

. It is believed that as these juveniles reach 50 cm they become semi-bottom dwelling. These young fish form

schools A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...

over hard bottom at depths of around 350–450 m, moving to deeper waters as they grow.

References

* Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, ''Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand'', (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) * New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries - https://web.archive.org/web/20081230124424/http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/SOF/Species.htm?code=BNS&list=name

External links

Blue-eye Trevalla @ Fishes of Australia

Blue-eye Trevalla @ Australian Fisheries Management Authority
{{Authority control Centrolophidae Fish of Argentina Marine fish of South Africa Marine fish of Southern Australia Marine fish of New Zealand Fish described in 1819