''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 of the
family ''
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 prior to
spawning.
Blue eye mainly feed on the
tunicate ''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 ...
s,
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
crustaceans, and are also
cannibalistic.
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 during March and April.
Little is known about the egg and
larval stages of blue eye. Recently Antarctic butterfish of approximately 10 cm have been found living in association with large masses of floating
kelp. It is believed that as these juveniles reach 50 cm they become semi-bottom dwelling.
These young fish form
schools 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 AustraliaBlue-eye Trevalla @ Australian Fisheries Management Authority
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Centrolophidae
Fish of Argentina
Marine fish of South Africa
Marine fish of Southern Australia
Marine fish of New Zealand
Fish described in 1819